Portuguese caldo verde, or green broth, turns simple ingredients into a satisfying soup. It’s essential to slice the greens very finely (as one old recipe puts it, like an angel’s tresses) so they cook rapidly without losing their texture or color.
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces Swiss chard or kale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion (4 ounces), finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 5 to 6 cups water
- 4 ounces chouriço (Portuguese pork sausage with garlic and red pepper paste) or imported Spanish chorizo, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and a generous grind of black pepper
Directions
Discard the chard stems and ribs. Rinse the leaves in cold water and spin dry. Tightly roll short stacks of leaves, cigar fashion. Using a sharp knife, slice across very thinly and then chop a little so that unrolled strands in the soup are not too long.
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until softened, 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the potatoes and sauté until lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 20 minutes. Mash the potatoes into the broth to thicken it, add the sausage slices and simmer for 2 minutes to blend the flavors.
Stir in the shredded chard and cook just until tender, 2 or 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve at once.
Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 230, Carbohydrates: 24 g, Protein: 8 g, Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Sodium: 1320 mg, Fiber: 3 g
Gluten-Free Living Food Editor Jackie Mallorca has more than a dozen cookbooks to her credit. Her latest titles include The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone and Gluten-Free Italian.
