Many Portuguese consider "caldo verde" a national dish. It is served during festivities. Because of the Portuguese colonies in Brazil, it is also known there.
When preparing this dish, be careful to cut Kale into very thin slices. This creates the soup's distinctive character.
It is usually served with "chorizo" (sausage). As a vegetarian, I could have replaced it for a veggie sausage but didn't want to add extra sodium to the dish.
So this is my vegan version of the Portuguese Kale Soup:
Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 pound kale or collard greens, cut into very fine julienne
• Pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potato, cover everything with vegetable broth, bring to a boil and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 15 minutes.
When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens, bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with pepper, ladle into bowls, and garnish with some greens.
Serves: 3
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| Portuguese Kale soup (Caldo Verde) |
Enjoy!
