Portuguese Caldo Verde

I was recently asked if I'd like to take part in the Sunvil Supper Club, an online supper club celebrating the authentic foods of the places they sell holidays to.  I love this idea, it's a great way to try something new and learn more about a country, whether you're visiting it or not.

The recipe for January was Portuguese Caldo Verde (also known as wedding soup) - "At it's simplest, this dish is a heart-warming Portuguese classic.  Based on an old traditional recipe for when times were hard, this potato-based soup has become a favourite seasonal dish in Portugal.  This kind - which has onions, garlic and chorizo, in addition to the potatoes and kale - is often part of traditional celebrations, like birthdays and religious festivals.  It is also served at traditional weddings, earning it's other title: wedding soup."

The recipe on the supper club blog makes rather a lot of soup, which is usually fine, but this isn't the kind of soup you can reheat over and over again as the kale becomes lack lustre once it has cooled so I made a half-batch which was still actually more than enough to feed 6 people!   I also reduced the amount of kale and in hind-sight I'd also use stock and seal the chorizo as it lost a lot of taste from just being boiled in the way suggested.

The Caldo Verde was a big hit.  It's one of those meals that is perfect in it's simplicity and used ingredients that I'd often find in my own kitchen anyway.  Cameron doesn't usually touch soup unless it's been liquidised so that there are no bits so it was a big coup to see him empty his bowl without a fuss!  
Here's my adapted version:



Caldo Verde

olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 potatoes, sliced thinly
1 pint cold water
1 pint stock (vegetable or chicken)
120g chorizo, sliced thinly
Pinch of salt and pepper
150g kale, sliced
1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Stir in the chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes more.

Add the potatoes to the pan, cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Pour in the water and stock, add the bayleaf and  bring to the boil, simmering for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft enough to mash.  Mash the potato slices if desired.

Taste the soup and season if required.  

5 minutes before serving, stir in the kale and simmer until tender and jade green.

Add a further tablespoon of olive oil and serve immediately.


You can download the pdf recipe card from the Sunvil site.  They are looking for more bloggers to join in with their supper club if you fancy having a go!