Caldo Verde is a popular soup in Portugese and Brazilian cooking, which i came across in Gourmet Traveller. Considering the wealth of cavolo nero (or black cabbage) in the dish i was anxious to see whether i'd like it. Happily, after the first mouthful, i loved it! The cabbage does not overpower the dish and in fact adds to the richness within. Redolent with garlic and the spices fo the chorizo, it's still an easy soup on the tummy and very wintry. I would recommend this soup to anyone who's looking for something a little bit different for winter! Despite the ingredients, it will appeal to almost all palates.
Ingredients
- 2 spanish chorizo
- 700gm (four medium) floury potatoes
- 1 litre low salt vegetable stock
- 2tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp
- 1 large bunch cavolo nero, kale or silverbeet (i used silverbeet), about 300gm once stalks removed
- 1 large onion
- 2 large cloves garlic
Method
Remove the stalks from the cabbage leaves with a knife
Roll the cabbage leaves into a 'cigar' and finely chop into a chiffonade (as finely as possible)
Peel the potatoes and dice into 1cm cubes
Chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the potatoes and saute for a further 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Using a vegetable masher, crush the potatoes in the stock to make a puree
*Note: try not to resort to a blender or barmix as it will lose too much character
Heat the other 2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a frying pan
Add the sliced chorizo and fry for 10 minutes or until browned.
Add the cabbage to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the cabbage to wilt.
Transfer the chorizo to the soup and stir through.
Ladle into serving bowls and drizzle over a little extra olive oil.
Serve with a crusty bread and a glass of pinot
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