GLC Soup Series ~ Soup Two: Caldo Verde

If you've been following this blog at all, you probably know by now that I am a fan of kale. Well... to be more precise, I try to eat a good amount of it since it's a super food, and when it's prepared the right way, it's quite tasty. I find that kale is a perfect green for soups since it's so hearty and even after it's been in the broth a while it still maintains some texture (unlike spinach, for example). So for the second soup in the series, I decided to include one where kale is a major component. 

Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup (it's literal translation is "green broth"). It's traditionally made with linguiça (a smoked, cured sausage), but finding it around here was not so easy, so I substituted it with smoked kielbasa made at one of my favorite places in all of Schenectady, Garofalo's. If you're from around the capital region, and don't know this place, I highly suggest a visit (if you're a fan of Italian food or fresh meats, anyway). They've been in business for ages and their products and service are the reason why. After speaking with one of the sisters (an owner), she suggested I use chorizo or the andouille as a linguiça subsitute--which I agreed might be more appropriate replacement sausages--but after I explained that I can only handle so much "heat" from spice, she agreed that the smoked kielbasa was my best bet. 

So here we go, with Gigi's version of....

Caldo Verde

Ingredients:

• 2-3 TB olive oil 
• 1/2 to 3/4 lb linguiça or chorizo or andouille or smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (that's at least a lb pictured above, I didn't use the whole thing)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 3-5 (about 1 lb) russet or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 6-8 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb kale, washed with stems removed and cut into small, bite-sized pieces

Before I go into the steps, please keep in mind that getting good quality sausage is key. You can use one of the supermarket brands for your sausage, but chances are you will end up with a greasy layer of fat on top of your soup, which isn't particularly appetizing. So, I want to make sure it is understood before you make this and decide that it's disgusting--the quality of your ingredients is what can make or break a meal. The majority of sausages I've gotten from Garofalo's are very lean, and there was hardly any fat melting off this keilbasa.

Ok... now on with the cooking.

First heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (I use my dutch oven) on medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes. Then add and brown the sausage. Once the sausage is done, transfer it with the spoon to a bowl or plate.

Add more olive oil to the pan if necessary (and let it get hot), then add the garlic and onions. Sauté them until the onions are translucent and then add the potatoes. Toss the potatoes around the pan a bit, but just so they absorb some of the garlic and onion flavoring, not so they get brown. Then add the water and salt, and cook the potatoes until very tender--about 15 minutes.  

Once the potatoes have softened, mash a couple of them within the soup with the spoon or a fork--this adds a little creaminess to the texture of the soup. Then add the kale and let the soup simmer for about 5-7 minutes. 

Once the kale wilts into the soup and appears to be cooked through, add the sausage and stir. Let the soup simmer with all the ingredients for about five minutes or so to make sure the sausage is heated though and the flavors come together nicely. Then it's ready to eat!

For a soup that is so simple, and has so few ingredients, the flavors and textures can't be beat. The smokey and spicy flavor of the sausage complements the bitter greens, while the potatoes add a rich comforting starch with an almost creamy texture. If desired, you could sprinkle a little grated parm on top of this soup, but I don't think it's necessary. And though dipping a nice piece of bread or some crackers might be your normal accoutrements for soup, I don't think this one requires any additions.

You can store leftovers in your refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze it for longer, but I doubt it'll last that long...  I have to admit, over the course of five days, I made it through this entire batch (about 2 quarts). No taste-testers or even frozen leftovers, this soup was all mine. I had it for lunch or dinner each day, and it was gone before I knew it!