Caldo Verde
By
Jeanne Benavidez
@jeanneben
1
Originally a Portuguese dish, Caldo Verde calls for collard greens. It also calls for using water instead of chicken stock. However, since I am not a fan of the bitterness of collard greens, I use fresh spinach instead; and I also like to cook with vegetable or chicken stock instead of just water. I find that the stock adds another layer of flavor. Here is my version of Caldo Verde.
Ingredients
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2/3 colive oil, extra virgin
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1 largeonion, chopped
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5 mediumstarchy potatoes, washed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
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2 clovegarlic, chopped
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1 largebunch or fresh spinach
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·smoked sausage, italian sausage or your favorite, cooked and sliced
How to Make Caldo Verde
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-heat, add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft (for about 10 minutes).
- Add the potatoes, cook quickly for a couple of minutes.
- Add the stock and salt (starting with 1 teaspoon of salt and adding the rest if necessary to suit your taste).
- Bring it to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes for about 30 minutes. Add the sausage and cook a few more minutes until the sausage is hot and the potatoes are fork tender.
- I prefer my potatoes chunky in my soup. However, if you want a thicker soup, blend the soup by using an immersion blender directly in the pot or you can put the soup in batches into a blender and blend it. Add more chicken stock if you think it's too thick.
- Taste the soup and adjust salt if necessary, add fresh pepper to taste.
- Place a handful of spinach on the bottom of each bowl and pour soup over the spinach. Make sure the soup is extremely hot, as it will flash cook the greens.
About Caldo Verde
Course/Dish: Other Soups, Vegetable Soup
Main Ingredient: Vegetable
Regional Style: Mexican
Other Tag: Quick & Easy
