kale soup (caldo verde)

KALE SOUP (caldo verde)

Kale soup is one of those soups that is not only good for you,  it is versatile.  Today I will make the traditional  caldo verde with linguica with my own adaptation of adding carrots, You can omit the linguica and make this soup vegetarian just simply add additional olive oil and garlic for extra flavor..

The measured  ingredients for this soup are not crucial its all more or less. you can adjust to your taste by
adding more potatoes and carrots to make the soup thicker.

kale or collard greens are interchangeable for this soup

Cut collard greens, traditionally they are cut in very thin even  thinner strips then what you see here.

Portuguese sausage (chourico) 

INGREDIENT'S:

1-2 lb of  collard greens or kale.
1 large yellow onion pealed and left whole
3-4 large white potatoes pealed and left whole
3-4 large carrots pealed and left whole, (not used traditionally) optional
3-5 garlic cloves pealed and smashed
1/2 lb-1lb of linguica or chourico (Portuguese sausage)
4 quart of fresh water
2 -3 tbsp sea salt to taste
1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil

                                       

I wash my kale in large bowl and let it sit in the water 5 to 10 minutes to make sure all particles and sand are loosen and removed, and I rinse it a couple of times.
I add to a large pot the fresh water,the whole onion, whole garlic, whole potatoes,the whole carrots, salt and the whole linguica sausage, and let it come to a boil, at this time add the kale chopped in a chiffonade style.
Let all vegetables cook till tender, remove potatoes, carrots onion garlic to a food processor or blender and pure, add this pure back into pot. remove linguica and cut in thin slices leave kale in the pot, add the thinly sliced  linguica to the pot with the olive oil and adjust for salt. let cook only minute or two soup is done. This soup lasts in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.