Caldo Verde, a traditional Portuguese soup made with potatoes, leafy greens and olive oil. This easy version usees a combo of kale and cavolo nero for a comforting and nourishing soup that the whole family will enjoy. Perfect for the cold season, but also all year round.
If you love the classic British leek and potato soup, you will definitely enjoy this hearty and wholesome Portuguese variation. Caldo verde is a one of the most beloved soups in the Portuguese cuisine; a humble dish with simple ingredients, but packed with flavour.
Whereas the British soup relies on leeks and potatoes as the base, caldo verde swaps leeks for shredded leafy greens, traditionally collard greens or kale. Olive oil is also an important ingredient for the Portuguese soup, while the potato and leek soup often uses butter.
No cream is added in the Portuguese soup, its creamy texture comes from the blended potatoes, so the soup is also vegan friendly. You can add just water to it, or veggie stock, both are fine.
This soup will always bring back memories from my time in Portugal when I was an Erastmus student at the University of Porto. Those months spent there were absolutely wonderful, and they opened my eyes (and indeed appetite) to a wide range of cuisines.
Portuguese chourico is another ingredient that you mind find added to the soup, although it's absolutely fine to enjoy the soup without it too, I often has mine simple and it was a delight!
By all means, you can totally add some if you wish, and if you can't find Portuguese chourico, Spanish chorizo is absolutely fine, I would cook it separately and top the soup with it, rather than cook it together.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- potatoes - the best ones for this soup are floury potatoes, as they blend into a creamy texture, but you can use whatever you have around too. I used baby potatoes, but regular-sized potatoes are also fine.
- kale and cavolo nero - you can use either of them, or together just like I did, it's completely up to you
- olive oil - it could be swapped for a vegetable oil, however, the soup would lose its distinctive flavour
- onion and garlic - made a good base for the soup and add a lovely flavour, while some very basic soup variations don't include onion, I certainly prefer adding it
- salt and pepper - add to taste
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- heat up the oil in a large pan, add the peeled and chopped onion and garlic, and fry them until golden
- add the peeled and chopped potatoes and stock, and leave it to cook until the potatoes are tender
- finely shred the kale and cavolo nero
- use a hand blender to blend the soup to a creamy texture, then add the greens and cook for a further 2-3 minutes for the greens to soften
- season with salt and pepper and serve hot
Expert tips
It's very important to shred the greens as finely as you can, to keep an authentic touch. Remove the tough central stems, stack or roll the greens, and use a sharp knife to slice them into very thin ribbons.
Don't overcook the greens, we want to keep the vibrant colour and a nice texture, so once the potato base is ready, the greens don't need to cook for any longer than a few minutes.
Don't make the soup too thick, it should be creamy from blending the potatoes, but still have a pourable consistency; if needed, add more stock or water.
You can also add a generous drizzle of olive oil at the end for a nice finishing touch, the quality of the olive oil is really important and it gives the soup a lovely Mediterranean touch.
Serve the soup with some nice crusty bread loaves, soda bread rolls or potato bread for a comforting and soul-soothing meal that is perfect for a rainy day.
Other creamy soups you might like
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Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
Ingredients
- 750 g baby potatoes (1.65 lb)
- 1 regular onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 150 g cavolo nero (5 oz)
- 100 g kale (3 oz)
- 1 litre vegetable stock (4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large pan, add the peeled and chopped onion and fry it until golden.
- Add the peeled and chopped garlic and potatoes, pour over the stock, and cook it until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the tough centre stems from the cavolo nero and kale, and shred them finely into thin ribbons.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, use a hand blender to blend the soup to a smooth texture.
- Add the shredded greens, salt and pepper, and return it to the heat for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Serve hot with extra black pepper and olive oil if you wish.
Notes
- It's very important to shred the greens as finely as you can, to keep an authentic touch. Remove the tough central stems, stack or roll the greens, and use a sharp knife to slice them into very thin ribbons.
- Don't overcook the greens, we want to keep the vibrant colour and a nice texture, so once the potato base is ready, the greens don't need to cook for any longer than a few minutes.
- Don't make the soup too thick, it should be creamy from blending the potatoes, but still have a pourable consistency; if needed, add more stock or water.
- You can also add a generous drizzle of olive oil at the end for a nice finishing touch, the quality of the olive oil is really important and it gives the soup a lovely Mediterranean touch.
Nutrition
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