Caldo Verde — Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup
Portugal's national soup: a silky purée of potato and onion in good olive oil, with finely shredded greens (couve / collard) stirred in at the end so they stay bright, and slices of smoky chouriço for richness. Humble, soothing and beloved from everyday dinners to festas — finished with a generous thread of olive oil and served with broa cornbread.
Soften onion and garlic in olive oil, add peeled potatoes and water (or stock), and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Blend the soup smooth and silky, then season. Stir in very finely shredded couve (collard or kale) and simmer just a few minutes so it stays bright green and tender. Add slices of sautéed chouriço, finish each bowl with a thread of good olive oil, and serve with broa.
- Blend the potato base completely smooth and silky before the greens go in.
- Shred the greens as finely as you can and add them late — a few minutes only — to keep them bright.
- A generous thread of good olive oil at the end (and the chouriço) is what makes it caldo verde.
Equipment
- Pot
- Blender or stick blender
- Sharp knife (for shredding greens)
Ingredients
Soup base
- 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 45 ml olive oil, plus more to finish
- 600 g potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1.2 L water or light stock
- Salt to taste
To finish
- 200 g couve (collard greens or kale), very finely shredded
- 150 g chouriço, sliced
- Good olive oil and broa (cornbread), to serve
Method
- STEP01
Soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a pot until translucent, without browning.
- STEP02
Add the chopped potatoes and the water (or stock), season lightly, and simmer until the potatoes are completely soft, about 20 minutes.
- STEP03
Blend the soup until completely smooth and silky. Return to the pot and adjust the salt and consistency (it should be like single cream).
- STEP04
Sauté the chouriço slices briefly to release their oil. Stir the finely shredded greens into the soup and simmer just 3–5 minutes until tender but still bright green. Add most of the chouriço.
- STEP05
Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining chouriço slices, and finish each with a generous thread of good olive oil. Serve hot with broa cornbread.
Make ahead
Make the smooth potato base ahead and refrigerate or freeze; add the finely shredded greens and chouriço when reheating to serve, so the greens stay vivid and tender.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated and freezes well (the smooth base especially). The greens dull a little over time — for the brightest colour, stir fresh greens into reheated base. Reheat gently.
Variations
Vegetarian
Skip the chouriço and lean on a generous thread of good olive oil and smoked paprika for depth.
Chunkier
Blend only part of the soup, or mash the potatoes, for a more rustic, less smooth texture.
Extra greens
Add more shredded couve for a greener, more textured soup.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Frequently asked
What greens are used in caldo verde?
Traditionally couve galega (Portuguese kale/collard), shredded extremely finely into thread-like ribbons. Outside Portugal, collard greens or cavolo nero/kale are the closest substitutes. The fine shred is characteristic — it lets the greens cook in minutes and stay bright.
How do I keep the greens bright green?
Shred them very finely and add them to the soup only at the end, simmering just 3–5 minutes — long enough to soften but not so long they go drab and olive. Overcooking dulls both the colour and flavour.
What is chouriço and can I substitute it?
Chouriço is Portuguese smoked, paprika-spiced pork sausage that adds smoky richness and colour. Spanish chorizo is the closest substitute. For a vegetarian caldo verde, leave it out and add smoked paprika plus a generous finish of good olive oil.
Should caldo verde be smooth or chunky?
The classic is a smooth, silky potato-and-onion purée with the fine greens (and chouriço) suspended in it — not a chunky potato soup. Blend the base completely before adding the greens. Some home versions are more rustic, but smooth is traditional.
Why is olive oil so important here?
Caldo verde is a humble soup, so good Portuguese olive oil does a lot of the flavour work — both cooked into the base and, crucially, drizzled generously over each bowl at the end. That final raw thread of fragrant oil is part of the dish's identity.
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