Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup)

Caldo verde is Portugal’s most beloved soup: a silky potato base studded with ribbons of kale and thin slices of smoky chourico. It’s simple enough for a weeknight but shows up at every celebration from birthdays to festas, always with a drizzle of good olive oil on top.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 cups water or chicken broth
• Salt, to taste
• 5 ounces chourico or linguica sausage, thinly sliced
• 4 cups finely shredded collard greens or kale, tightly packed
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the potatoes
   Combine the potatoes, onion, garlic, and water or broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.
2. Blend
   Purée the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or carefully blend in batches). Season with salt.
3. Cook the sausage
   While the soup simmers, cook the sliced chourico in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until lightly crisp.
4. Add the greens
   Return the soup to a simmer and stir in the shredded greens along with the olive oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the greens are tender but still bright green.
5. Serve
   Ladle into bowls, top with a few slices of chourico, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.