Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale Soup) Recipe (6 Ingredients)

Soup is one of my favorite foods—I eat it year-round. I could never pick a favorite, but I tend to gravitate toward brothy soups that are full of texture and flavor. When I’ve cleared the bowl, I feel a sense of comfort and satisfaction. Bonus points if that soup is also simple to make. Caldo verde checks all of the boxes. 

While I could eat soup every day of the year, my husband feels differently. Even worse, he’s not a fan of broth-based soups. You can see my dilemma. I’ve tried a few heartier soups, like pozole and even a veggie and bean-packed minestrone, but I couldn’t get him to appreciate it the way I do. That was until I served him caldo verde. I think it was the sausage that stole his heart.

What Is Caldo Verde?

Caldo verde is a Portuguese soup that gets its name, “green broth,” from the brightly-hued greens used to make it. The greens are typically collards, but other recipes use kale or mustard greens. While there’s more than one way to make it, many recipes also include onion, garlic, potatoes, and linguiça, a type of cured Portuguese sausage. 

The beauty of the meal is its simplicity. Humble ingredients become a satisfying dish that comes together quickly using just one pot. 

Tips for Making Caldo Verde

• Choose your sausage. If you can find linguiça, use it, but other smoked sausages will work. They come in all shapes and sizes. If the diameter is small enough, a simple slice is sufficient. For larger sausages, you may need to halve or quarter before slicing. The goal is to have slices that can easily fit on a spoon. 
• Remove some fat. Some smoked sausages, like Spanish chorizo, have relatively high-fat content. When you cook it, plenty of that fat will come out. If you end up with more than 3 to 4 tablespoons in your pot, remove a tablespoon or two before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
• Use a helpful tool. I like to use my slotted spatula (the same wide one I use to flip cookies) to drain the sausage quickly after cooking. 

Quick and Easy Soups