On a cold winter day, there’s nothing better than a bowl of nice, hot soup. One of my favorite soups is a Portuguese soup called Caldo Verde. We have a large Portuguese population in New Jersey and you’ll find this soup in many of the Portuguese restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark and some of the towns along the water. My hero in Never a Bride, Carlos da Costa, is Portuguese and his family lives in the Ironbound. I had fun showing that culture in the story and sharing his strong family ethic which is something the heroine, Emma, has never had which is why she’s shy of marriage even though she’s a wedding planner. LOL! You can find out more about Never a Bride at https://amzn.to/47QkK3n. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!
Ingredients
2 chourico sausage (or Spanish chorizo sausage – not fresh Mexican chorizo)
32 ounces Chicken Broth (paper container)
16 ounces water
2 cups chopped Tuscan Kale (or regular kale)(Ribs removed)
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes (cut into medium chunks)
1 large onion chopped
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Slice chorizo into 1/4 rings. Heat olive oil in pot. Add chorizo and cook through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onions to the oil and cook until soft. About 4 or 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, chicken broth, and water and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
In the traditional recipe, you would blend this potato, onion, and liquid for a smooth consistency. I prefer it chunky, but leave it up to you and your own taste.
Add kale and cooked chorizo and simmer for another 5 or so minutes. Serve and make sure each bowl gets some chorizo.
Serve with a nice hard roll or Italian bread and maybe some Manchego cheese and red wine. A perfect winter meal!
If you can’t get chorizo, use kielbasa or a similar sausage. Don’t like kale? Substitute swiss chard or spinach!
