If you love soup (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love Portugal.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The heavenly smell will likely hit your nose before you even spot the pot bubbling on the stove. A common sight in countless Portuguese kitchens, soup is a comforting and easy dish that many people simply whip up with whatever they have on hand. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But a few soup recipes are so timeless that they’ve become staples of national cuisine. And this Portuguese kale soup recipe, also known as caldo verde<\/em>, is one of them. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Photo Credit: Pasquale Paolo Cardo<\/a>, Text Overlay: Devour Lisbon Food Tours<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is caldo verde?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Caldo verde<\/em> literally means “green broth.” It gets its color from the leafy greens, which in Portugal are usually couve galega<\/em>, or collard greens. However, kale is also a perfectly acceptable substitute.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Whichever leafy green you use, the important thing is that you chop it up into long, thin strands before cooking. This allows it to perfectly complement the other flavors in the soup without overpowering them. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But what are the other flavors, anyway? In addition to the greens, caldo verde<\/em> is packed full of veggies and chouri\u00e7o<\/em>, one of the most popular kinds of Portuguese sausage<\/a>. The chouri\u00e7o<\/em> is important as it gives a nice pop of color and a smoky touch to the soup, so be sure you’re using a high-quality one!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Last but not least, here in Portugal, we’re big on using bread to soak up every last drop of soupy goodness. Serve your caldo verde<\/em> with plenty of broa<\/em> (a sort of Portuguese corn bread) or any other rustic bread to get the full experience. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n