Recipe: Caldo Verde (Portuguese kale and potato soup)

Recipes for Caldo Verde, like every beloved national recipe, have hundreds of variations. I would not suggest my version of this soup to be any more authentic than the rest — particularly since I don't include sausage, especially the Portuguese liguica or chourico (chorizo), which is a primary ingredient in most traditional Caldo Verde recipes. Sausage would be perfectly delicious simmered in this soup, but I substituted penny-pinching kidney beans for the sausage in the following recipe.

Yield: 9-10 cups
Active Time: 25 minutes
Simmer Time: 40-75 minutes (depending on how the type of kale used)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil? 
• 2 leeks, white and light green part only, diced (3 cups)? 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic? 
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (5 cups) 
• 3 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (3 cups) 
• 6 cups vegetable of chicken stock 
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1/2 pound kale, washed, trimmed, ribs removed and cut into thin strips

Directions
 
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat, simmering until the potatoes and turnips are tender, 20-30 minutes.
4. When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens and, bring return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the greens are cooked to your palate, 5-45 minutes. In last few minutes of cooking time, stir in beans.

 This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on April 14, 2011.