This Caldo Verde recipe is so comforting and warming. It’s a potato and greens soup that hails from Portugal and is made with collard greens and smoked sausage. Vegetarian-adaptable!
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.
W.B. Yeats
Caldo Verde translates to “green soup” from the finely shredded Portuguese greens called couve galega, a close relative to collard greens (which is what we use here). Smoked sausage seasons the soup along with onions and garlic. Though contents may vary slightly in different regions, potatoes, greens and sausage signify the soup.
Caldo Verde is a traditional Portuguese soup from Northern Portugal that dates back to the 15th century. It is now a country-wide staple, typically served for special celebrations, and loved in many parts of the world.
Love potato soup? Try our popular Potato Leek Soup!
Table of Contents
- How To Make Caldo Verde
- Caldo Verde Storage
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe FAQS
- More recipes You May Enjoy
- Caldo Verde video
- Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Green Soup)
Simple ingredients create Caldo Verde. High-quality ingredients, good olive oil, organic tender potatoes and flavorful broth, will make all the difference here!
Caldo VerDE Ingredients
- Potatoes– yellow potatoes such as Yukon gold potatoes. Thin-skinned is nice, leave the peel on for all the extra nutrients.
- Greens– collard, kale or mustard greens. The traditional greens used are Portuguese cabbage or couve galega which is similar to collard greens.
- Sausage– paio, chouriço, or linguiça are traditional smoked and cured sausages used in Caldo Verde. However, they may not be readily available at common markets. Kielbasa, pork sausage, turkey sausage or a cured Spanish chorizo (not Mexican chorizo!) are good substitutes. Vegan sausage, like Field Roast, would be great too, or sub-white beans!
- Broth– chicken stock or veggie broth. Make sure it is flavorful!
- Extra-Virgin Olive oil– a good quality oil is a must for this recipe.
- Salt and black pepper
*See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Caldo Verde
- Cut the stems out of the collard greens, then cut in strips by staking about 3 leaves and rolling up in “cigars” then slicing thin into ribbons. Set aside.
2. Chop the veggies, set aside.
3. Saute the sausage over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or stock pot. Set aside.
TIP: If you prefer not to fry the sausage, you can boil them whole with the potatoes and broth. Remove the sausages before blending. Cut in slices and set aside.
4. In the same pot, without cleaning, add onion and garlic, sauteeing until tender. Add broth, potatoes, andsaltand simmer over medium-low heat until tender.
5. Add about 1/3 of the sausage into the soup. Use an immersion blender to blend until mostly smooth.
6. Add the greens, simmer until greens are tender about 10 minutes.
7. Add the remaining sausage and warm for a few minutes. Add more broth for desired consistency.
8. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon if using.
Serve! Divide among bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, and an optional pinch of Aleppo pepper. To richen it up you can also add a bit of cream to each dish.
Caldo Verde Storage
Caldo Verde will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, or can be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Caldo Verde, on its own as a delicious one-pot meal, or serve with a leafy green salad, crusty bread, rolls or savory scones.
Recipe FAQS
What does caldo verde mean?
Portuguese green soup. Made of potatoes, greens and smoked meat.
Should I leave the potato skin on for soup?
It depends on the type of potato. When the skins are thin like on a Yukon gold, it is great to leave them on both for ease and for the nutritional value of the skin. Russet potatoes tend to have thicker skin also the older the potato the thicker the skin and it can add unwanted texture.
What is the difference between collard greens and kale?
They both come from the brassica family and are high in nutrients and vitamins K, A and C. Kale has more protein and iron. Collard greens have more manganese and tend to be more mild in flavor than kale. Both kale and collard greens sweeten up in the garden with a hit of frost.
More recipes You May Enjoy
Potato Leek Soup
Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada)
Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Caldo Verde video
Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Green Soup)
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 9 reviews
- Author: Tonia | Feasting at Home
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Portugese
Description
This Portuguese soup called Caldo Verde has a luscious creamy potato base, with collard green ribbons, and smoked sausage. A delicious one-pot meal that is vegan-adaptable!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 1 pound smoked cured sausage such as calabresa, paio, chouiço, linguiça, paio, Spanish chorizo, Kielbasa or plant-based sausage, cut into half moon pieces. (Do not use raw Mexican chorizo)
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock or veggie broth
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, cut in chunks
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste- start with 1 teaspoon and add more as needed)
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper (adjust to taste)
- 2 cups collard greens or kale, cut into thin ribbons
- Optional: 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice and zest of a lemon
Instructions
- Cut the stems out of the collard greens then cut in strips by stacking about 3 leaves and rolling up into “cigars” then slicing them thin into ribbons. Set aside.
- Saute the sausage in a heavy bottom stock pot. Set aside. (see notes)
- In the same pot, without cleaning, add onion and garlic, sauteeing until tender. Add broth, potatoes, andsaltcook, until tender. Add about 1/3 of the sausage slices into the soup. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup just until mostly smooth or to desired consistency. Try not to over blend, this can cause some potatoes to become gummy.
- Add the greens, simmer until greens are tender about 10 minutes.
- Add the sausage and warm for a few minutes. Add more broth for desired consistancy.
- Adjust salt, pepper and lemon if using.
- Drizzle individual bowls with olive oil, and optional pinch of Aleppo pepper. To richen it up you can also add a bit of cream to each dish.
Notes
If you prefer not to fry the sausage, you can boil them whole with the potatoes and broth. Remove the sausages before blending. Cut in slices and set aside.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 357
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 1422.4 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.8 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
- Protein: 15.2 g
- Cholesterol: 40.1 mg
