Caldo Verde: The Portuguese Soup That Shows Up at Every Celebration

In Portugal, there is almost no occasion — wedding, funeral, Sunday lunch, Saturday night — where caldo verde does not appear. It is the one soup every region has in common. That kind of unanimity is usually a reliable indicator of quality.

It is also one of the more achievable soups in existence.

The base

Soften a large onion and three garlic cloves in a generous amount of olive oil over medium-low heat until completely soft — about fifteen minutes. Add about 600g of floury potatoes peeled and cut into chunks, and cover with a liter of water or light vegetable stock. Season well with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.

Use a hand blender or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until completely smooth. Return to the pot over low heat. The consistency should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable. Add water or stock to adjust.

The kale

Strip the leaves from the stems and stack them. Roll tightly and slice across into very thin ribbons — as thin as you can manage. This is the defining technique of caldo verde. Thick chunks of kale are a different soup.

Add the kale ribbons to the hot soup base. Cook for three to four minutes until wilted and still bright green. Do not cook them to grey.

The chouriço

Slice the sausage into rounds about half a centimeter thick. Fry in a dry pan over medium heat until the fat renders and the rounds are slightly crisp on both sides.

Serving

Ladle the soup into bowls, place two or three rounds of chouriço on top, and drizzle with good olive oil. Crusty bread alongside is required. This is the one time it is acceptable to serve the same soup you would serve at a celebration on a random Tuesday.