Caldo Verde, which means “green broth” in Portuguese, is a classic Portuguese soup made with potatoes, kale or collard greens, smoked sausage and olive oil. This straightforward Caldo Verde recipe is prepared in a single pot and delivers comforting, bold flavor.
My niece and nephew are half Portuguese, and family trips to Portugal have shaped some of our favorite meals. My sister once returned from an extended travel adventure in Europe with stories, a VW bus and, eventually, a Portuguese husband. On a later trip back to northern Portugal with my father, he came home with new memories, a classical guitar and a love for Caldo Verde.
I hadn’t tried it before, so Dad mailed me his handwritten recipe—something I still treasure. By chance I had a pound of kale, a bag of potatoes and a locally smoked sausage in our weekly CSA, so I followed his instructions.
Don’t underestimate this soup: it’s simple but spectacular. My dad insisted on sticking to the core ingredients—potatoes, greens, smoked sausage, garlic and olive oil—and he was right. You can adjust quantities to taste, but avoid turning it into a different stew by adding unrelated vegetables or beans.
A hot bowl of Caldo Verde is restorative no matter how you’re feeling. It’s even known as a hangover elixir in some circles—so if you overindulge, this soup is traditionally the cure. Serve it as a starter or make it the main course with crusty bread. Leftovers are a bonus: the flavors mellow and often improve the next day.
More Must-Try Soups
- Butternut Squash Bisque
- Albondigas Soup
- West African Peanut Stew
- Pozole Verde
- Tomato Bisque
How To Make Caldo Verde
Step 1: Brown the sliced sausage in a large soup pot, then remove it from the pan, leaving about two tablespoons of the rendered oil.
Step 2: Add diced onion and chopped garlic to the oil and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant—about five minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Step 3: Add diced potatoes, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15–20 minutes. Mash a few potatoes against the side of the pot for extra body if you like.
Step 4: Stir in the chopped kale and simmer until tender, about five minutes.
Step 5: Return the browned sausage to the pot, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve each bowl with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Caldo Verde
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 12 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt (or 3–4 teaspoons kosher salt), to taste
- 1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sausage rounds; cook, stirring, until the sausage is browned. Remove the sausage from the pot.
- Leave about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan (add more if the sausage was very lean). Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the garlic is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
- Add 2 quarts of water, the diced potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15–20 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes in the pot for a creamier texture if desired.
- Add the chopped kale and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Return the browned sausage to the soup, stir to combine, and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and finish each serving with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Notes
- Linguiça (a Portuguese sausage) or Spanish chorizo work especially well. If unavailable, kielbasa is a suitable substitute.
- The recipe uses water to let the kale shine, but you can substitute chicken broth for a richer flavor if you prefer.
- For a silkier texture, puree some of the potatoes and kale with an immersion blender or in a standard blender, then return to the pot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.