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Portuguese · Mediterranean

Caldo verde

Non-vegetarian

Portugal's beloved green soup: a smooth potato and onion broth with ribbons of finely shredded kale, finished with olive oil and slices of smoky chouriço.

Caldo verde is a Portuguese soup from Portugal, ready in about 50 minutes and made with potato and kale. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Caldo verde , a typic soup of Portugal
Photo: Mateus Hidalgo / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.5
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
220

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the oil in a large pot and soften the onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), water and salt. Simmer until the potatoes fall apart.

    • 20 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Blend until completely smooth.

    Food safety: Blend hot liquids in batches with the lid vented, or use a stick blender.

  4. Step 4

    Bring back to a simmer, add the kale (opens in a new tab) and cook until tender but still bright green. Meanwhile, fry the chouriço (opens in a new tab) slices briefly in a dry pan until the edges crisp and release red fat.

  5. Step 5

    Season with pepper (opens in a new tab) and serve with the chouriço (opens in a new tab) on top and a drizzle of olive oil (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Minho, Portugal · Well documentedAlso popular in BrazilMore food from Portugal
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Blended
    Taste
    savoury, smoky, earthy
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · Low-carb · Low-fat
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Potato · Kale · Onion · Garlic · Chorizo
    Techniques
    Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

    Allergens

    • May contain: Sulphitesfrom chorizo

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    220 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 440 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 11%
    • Carbohydrate 39%
    • Fat 50%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy220 kcal50 kcal
    Protein6.3 g1.4 g
    Carbohydrate22.3 g5.1 g
    Net carbohydrate18.1 g4.1 g
    Sugars2 g0.5 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre4.2 g0.9 g
    Fat12.5 g2.8 g
    Saturated fat2.8 g0.6 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol13 mg3 mg
    Sodium774 mg176 mg
    Salt equivalent1.9 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    665 mg
    Calcium
    154 mg
    Iron
    1.9 mg
    Magnesium
    48 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    100 µg
    Vitamin C
    60 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.3 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.4 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    44 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Roll the kale leaves into a tight cigar and slice as thinly as you possibly can.

    Common mistakes

    • Overcooking the kale, which turns it olive-drab.

    Serve with

    • Serve with Portuguese cornbread (broa).

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; freeze the potato base without the kale.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently; add fresh kale if freezing.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    • Potato, peeled and chopped600 g
    • Kale, stems removed, very finely shredded250 g
    • Chorizo, thinly sliced120 g
    Used in steps 2, 4, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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