🥬 Caldo verde
Caldo verde is Portugal's best-known soup: potatoes and garlic simmered and blended into a smooth base, then filled with very finely shredded kale and finished with slices of smoky chorizo and a thread of olive oil. It is light but warming, green and slightly smoky, and traditionally served in clay bowls.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 200 g kale or Portuguese couve, very finely shredded
- 100 g chorizo, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1.5 l water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Simmer the potatoes and garlic in salted water for 20 minutes until soft, then blend until smooth.
- Add the shredded kale and simmer for 5 minutes until just tender.
- Brown the chorizo slices briefly in a dry pan.
- Serve the soup with chorizo slices on top and a little olive oil.
How to make it lighter
- Use 2–3 slices of chorizo per bowl — the flavour carries far.
- Drizzle 1 tsp oil per bowl instead of a tablespoon.
- Add more kale for a bigger bowl with few extra calories.
History
Caldo verde comes from the Minho region in northern Portugal and is now eaten all over the country, especially at festivals such as the June Santos Populares, where it is served late into the night.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →