New World Portuguese Caldo Verde (Potato, Kale & Sausage Soup)

Portuguese Caldo Verde is one of my favorite winter soups and has been for decades. I devoured my first bowl of this famous soup in San Francisco, at Greens Restaurant, then headed by its celebrated founding chef, Deborah Madison.  

I especially liked the way Chef Madison used the deep ruby color of dry-cured chorizo to create a flavored oil to drizzle over the completed soup as it’s served.

It’s the only instance of this embellishment I’ve encountered. Small flourishes like this take a humble soup to new heights, giving the accent ingredient (chorizo!) its rightful place in the dish. (Below you’ll find directions for both Chorizo Oil and Crispy Chorizo Bits. Super easy to make and great to have on hand.)

Here are several other examples from across the web showing a range of contemporary approaches to this centuries old soup.  I’m betting the range of flavors is as wide as the range of presentations.

Whenever I’m creating My Version of a classic soup–after Starting the Stock–I run a quick Google Image Search. Like this one: Caldo Verde Image Search. (As you can see, there’s more than one way (okay more than 100 ways) to approach this Portuguese green soup.)

And then after a whirlwind exploration, I decide on a direction, in this instance going all in on GREEN, WINTER, and CHORIZO.

Flavors and textures of a selection of complementary winter vegetable (rutabagas, parsnips, fennel) were mingled and merged with potatoes and kale, with crumbled chorizo providing a sharp textural, flavor, and color contrast. Sort of a Caldo Verde Vichyssoise, but lean (no cream) and hot.

Caldo Verde Q&A

What is the English translation of Caldo Verde?

Green Broth is the accurate translation. But Green Soup is more commonly cited.

Where did Caldo Verde originate?

Caldo Verde (Portuguese for Green Broth) originated in the northwest corner of Portugal–in the former Minho Province, which is now the province of Entre Douro-e-Minho. Both Portugal and Brazil adopted and adapted this potato kale soup over several centuries.

When was Caldo Verde invented?

Earliest references to Caldo Verde suggest the 15^th century. Over subsequent centuries and across several borders, this versatile, simple soup adapted itself to available ingredients and local culture. Do a search on Green Soup or Potato, Kale, Sausage Soup for examples.

Is Caldo Verde a vegetarian soup?

Not traditionally, but it’s easily adaptable. And delicious either way. Just skip the sausage (which is more embellishment than foundation) and use vegetable stock. The spices carry the soup.

Do other countries make a version of this soup?

Yes. Italian Americans make Zuppa Toscana, which should NOT be confused with the version popularized at Olive Garden. Pulease! It’s a riff on Minestra di Pane Traditional, a traditional Tuscan soup of beans, black cabbage (another name for Lacinato/Tuscan kale), and bread.

Zuppa Toscana keeps the iconic kale and potatoes but adds Italian sausage and a copious quantity of cream. It’s a richly delicious soup with only a glimmer of kale.

What are the key ingredients for Caldo Verde?

• Either Portuguese Sausage: Spiced, smoked, dry-cured (edible as is), pork sausage, such as Chourico (sho-rdeet-soo) or Linquica (ling-gwee-suh).
• Or Spanish/Mexican Sausage: Uncooked, ground, spiced pork sausage, such as Chorizo (chr-ee-zow).
• Lacinato Kale. Also known as Tuscan kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, flat black kale, or black kale.
• Potato. New potatoes (waxy boiling potatoes) or russet potatoes (starchy baking potatoes), depending on whether you want the potato to hold its shape in the soup or dissolve and provide a thickener. See links below.
• Traditional Portuguese Herbs & Spices: The more the merrier. See my Portuguese Spice Blend below.
• Plus, onions, garlic, and stock.

What type of greens are best for Caldo Verde?

Tuscan/Lacinato (not curly) kale. No contest. But mustard or collard greens are sometimes used instead.

What type of potatoes are best for Caldo Verde?

The choice here depends on how you envision the finished soup. Do you want a lighter broth with distinct chunks of vegetables and sausage? Then go for boiling potatoes, such as red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. Or do you want a thicker (or pureed) soup with potato providing body? Then go for baking potatoes, such as Russet Burbank.

What herbs and spices define Caldo Verde?

Whoa! Now you’re on it! This is where YOUR Caldo Verde can leap miles ahead of the herd.  There are dozens of web articles on Portuguese herbs and spices. I spent hours exploring the various combinations before creating this special Portuguese 13-Spice Blend.  It’s flamboyant with smoked paprika, generous with black pepper, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon zest, orange zest and bay leaf, and judicious with oregano, ginger and clove. A beautiful, seductive blend.

It now shares cupboard space with my other custom spice blends on sister blog, LunaCafe: Moroccan Ras el Hanout, Garam Masala, Smokin’ Hot Cajun Spice, Chinese Five-Spice, and LunaCafe Baharat.

What about Chorizo Oil? Is it required? Is it difficult to make?

No, it’s not required. Yes, it’s easy to make. And it’s one of those finishing touches that will wow your eaters. I like having it on hand in the fridge, to add a flavor and color pop to a wide array of dishes. The process differs slightly depending on whether you use a dry-cured Spanish Chorizo or uncooked, ground, loose Mexican Chorizo.

To make Spanish Chorizo Oil, in a small sauté pan, over medium-low heat, gently heat ½ cup olive oil and then add 2 tablespoons finely chopped Spanish chorizo, along with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot, your choice) if desired. Heat without simmering for about 2 minutes, remove from heat, cool, decant, and store in the fridge.

To make Mexican Chorizo Oil, in a small sauté pan, over medium-low heat, without additional oil, add loose Mexican chorizo, and break up sausage while sautéing for 3-4 minutes. If desired add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot, your choice). Remove from heat, add ½ cup olive oil, stir to combine, cool, decant, and store in the fridge.

Either way you make Chorizo Oil, you’ll end up with 2 tablespoons or so of Crispy Chorizo Bits. You can leave them in the oil if you wish, but I often store them separately for garnishing, as you can see in the intro photo above.

Portuguese Potato Kale Sausage Soup or Green Soup (Caldo Verde)

My interpretation of this famous soup takes a few judicious liberties in the direction of Winter on the one hand and Green on the other. I wanted to work leeks, fennel, rutabaga, and parsnips into the onion-garlic-potato base. If rutabagas or parsnips are not available, substitute potato.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large yellow onion, peeled, cored, and chopped (3 cups chopped)
• 1 cup chopped leek (white and light green portion only)
• 6 cloves garlic, skinned and minced
• 1 tablespoon Portuguese 13-Spice Blend (see below)
• 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and diced into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup trimmed, chopped fennel
• 2 rutabagas, trimmed, peeled, and cubed
• 1 parsnip, trimmed, peeled, and cubed
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
• l bunch Lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stems removed and discarded, leaves sliced several times lengthwise, and then chopped

Serving (one or more of the following)

1. Prepare GBS Portuguese Spice Blend and reserve.
2. In a large (6-quart) soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil and add onions, leeks, and garlic.
3. Cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, to soften foundation veggies without browning.
4. Add Portuguese Spice Blend and sauté, stirring continuously, for additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Add potatoes, fennel, rutabagas, parsnip, and stock.
6. Bring soup to a simmer and cook until veggies are fully tender.
7. Add kale, cover, and simmer slowly for 3-5 minutes, until softened.
8. Remove soup from the heat and let cool somewhat.
9. Either blend soup with an immersion blender to desired consistency OR for most sublime texture, puree soup, in batches as necessary, in a high-powered blender (Vitamix!).
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Serve hot garnished with Crispy Chorizo Bits, sour cream, and parsley.

Makes 3 quarts | Serves 6-8

Portuguese 13-Spice Blend

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon dried lemon zest (or zest from ½ lemon)
• 1 teaspoon dried orange zest (or zest from ⅓ orange)
• 1 bay leaf, crushed with a mortar and pestle
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground clove

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all spices and dried herbs.
2. Store airtight in dark location. 

Makes 1/2 cup.