Caldo verde (Portuguese cabbage soup)
Method
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Gently fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil until softened and translucent.
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Chop the chorizo into small chunks and add to the pan with the onion.
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Fry the onions and sausage for a few more minutes and then add the diced potatoes. They will absorb all the flavour from the sausage.
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Transfer the mixture to a large pan, add the stock, seasoning and bay leaves, and cook until the potatoes are soft.
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Meanwhile, very finely chop the cabbage (alternatively, buy a cabbage-shredding machine from the market as we did).
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When the potatoes are ready, mash them into the broth to make a thick base. Blanch the greens in boiling water for one minute to take off any bitterness, drain, then add to the simmering broth.
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Add as much cabbage as the broth will support - if you want heavy soup add loads of greens, if lighter, add less.
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Simmer for a few minutes. The soup will go the colour of jade.
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Mix the smoked paprika with some olive oil to make a dressing, and swirl this red magic into the vibrant green soup. Serve with some rustic country bread.
Ingredients
- 2 fat onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 60ml/2¼fl oz olive oil
- 1 chorizo sausage
- 6 large potatoes
- 1.5 litres/2 pints 13fl oz good vegetable or chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- large bunch of greens or cabbage
- smoked paprika and olive oil, for dressing
Shopping List
Caldo verde (Portuguese cabbage soup)
Fruit and vegetables
Tins, packets and jars
Cooking ingredients
Meat, fish and poultry