Caldo Verde is originally Portuguese – but Brazil has long made the soup its own. With linguiça, garlic, and potatoes, it becomes a hearty meal that warms you up and satisfies on cool evenings.
What is Caldo Verde?
Caldo Verde literally means "green broth" – and that describes the dish perfectly: a creamy potato soup with finely shredded kale, refined with sausage. In Brazil, the soup is especially popular in the southern states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, where Portuguese immigrants brought their cuisine with them. The Brazilian version is more robust, often supplemented with linguiça or chouriço.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 500 g potatoes, peeled and diced
- 200 g kale, cut into fine strips
- 200 g linguiça or chorizo, sliced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 L chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, paprika powder to taste
Preparation
- Sauté: Fry the linguiça slices in olive oil until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- Base: Sauté the onion and garlic in the same pot until translucent.
- Cook: Add the potatoes and broth, and simmer for approx. 20 minutes until soft.
- Puree: Use an immersion blender to puree the potatoes until creamy (or only partially for more texture).
- Kale: Stir in the finely shredded kale and simmer for 3–5 minutes – it should remain slightly al dente.
- Finish: Add the linguiça back into the soup and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Serve hot.
Tips
- Slice the kale very finely – that is the secret to the texture.
- For a vegetarian version: omit the linguiça and use smoked paprika powder for the smoky flavor.
- A splash of cachaça in the broth gives the soup a Brazilian touch.
- In the mood for another warming soup? Try the Caldinho de Feijão.
Brazilian cuisine in autumn
- Brazilian cuisine is more versatile than many think – from light salads to hearty stews. Anyone wanting to delve deeper will find everything needed for authentic recipes in our range of Brazilian groceries.
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