It’s beginning to look like soup weather. So I’ve been craving something hearty and easy to dip bread in. We bought chicken and rice soup at the last farmers market of the year, which I dressed up with scallions, sesame oil, and bouillon. But my soup craving still raged on. At work I spoke to a woman who was moving to Portugal to be with her family. And I started to think of my time there. Bifanas. Pasteis de nata. And caldo verde, a potato, sausage, and kale soup. This isn’t a traditional caldo verde recipe, since I couldn’t find Portuguese sausage, but it turned out fantastic nonetheless.

My Caldo Verde Recipe

It’s the end of October and the weather in Maine has been chilly. I’m enjoying digging through my closet to find my favorite warm jackets again, and I even had to defrost my car windows one morning on the way to work. My garden is filled with dead, decaying flowers. Brown corn plants and black basil. It’s sad after all the work I put in, but I was still able to salvage my scallions. I’ve used them in soup, in my bolognese sauce, and on eggs in my new pan. It feels like just yesterday I was cutting my Zinnia’s back and bringing a bouquet to my 99 year old friend.

I considered making gnocchi this week. When I went to Italy in 2023 we visited the Tower of Pisa, as any good tourist does. I remember a long walk through wide streets to get to the tower. And it was underwhelming. Not how I pictured it as a kid. It’s probably only 4 or 5 stories tall and I’ll admit, the lean is impressive. It looks like it’ll fall down at any second. But I grew tired of the tourists taking cheesy photos pretending to hold it up after a few minutes. The city was swarmed with them. Infested.

Travel Memories

So we stopped for lunch on the way back to the train station at a cute little spot on the street. It was warm and not too busy. I ordered gnocchi with pesto. I remember us staring at an old woman smoking a cigarette at the window who had a glorious multicolored coat and a striking look about her. The gnocchi was delicious. I thought of it on the way downtown on Thursday as I drove past the farmers market, which is now just a green patch of empty field in the center of town. Instead, I decided to visit the farm stand, hoping they would have basil.

But that too was closed. I kicked myself a little, knowing I hadn’t visited as much as usual this summer. And I knew the grocery store would only have those expensive little pathetic plastic packets of herbs. Not the verdant bouquets I was looking for. So I perused the isles and picked out a bundle of ribbony kale instead. It would be more earthy and intense, but it could make a good pesto. But my mind started to wander to the caldo verde recipe I’ve been wanting to make since my time in Porto, Portugal.

Bifanas + Soup

We tried it one day when we were especially hungry. The bifanas were exceptional, as always, at our favorite spot Conga. But the sky was grey and we didn’t take off our jackets for once. To warm up, we decided to order cups of caldo verde, a Portuguese potato, sausage, and kale soup. And it was heavenly. The perfect thick but pourable consistency. Flavored with Linguiça, a smoked sausage with garlic, onions, and paprika. The cloudy off-white soup was filled with ribbons of thinly sliced kale, which at first seemed dangerous to swallow. A single slice of sausage sat on the bottom, as is tradition.

So as I picked up a few other things in the grocery store, I decided to make my own caldo verde recipe instead of gnocchi. It would be easier, too, after a tiring work week. Still balancing my painting commissions and occasional rough nights of sleep. The weather was grey, too, and I knew soup would hit the spot. So I circled back and picked out some potatoes. I decided to buy Andouille sausage after looking for something closer to Linguiça for a few minutes. It’s smoked, spicy, and flavorful. And I could add onion, garlic, and paprika to my recipe to compensate.

Caramelized Sausage

When I got home I gathered my things on the counter and had a peaceful patch of afternoon doing mise en place. Thinly slicing my kale, rolled into big leaves, after a lukewarm wash and rinse that made me feel like a hairdresser. I peeled my potatoes pensively and sliced the sausage into dozens of red-orange discs. Then, I diced an onion, pretending to be on a cooking show, and dug my immersion blender out of a low cabinet. Finally all I had to do was add a glug of olive oil to my pot and start stirring my cauldron.

First went in the sausage. I saved a quarter of it for garnish and flipped the caramelized ovals after a few minutes of sizzling. I cooked my diced onion and garlic in the orange sausage fat and felt that spiced aromatic soup scent begin to accumulate. Once they were softened I cubed my peeled potatoes and sautéed those, too, for a few minutes. And all that was left to do was cover the whole thing with chicken stock and let it simmer away for 20 minutes or so. Until the potatoes were tender and blend-able.

Rainy Day Recipes

I snacked on a couple pieces of sausage as it cooled. And my caldo verde recipe bubbled away deliciously while I had a snack and relaxed in bed. I day-dreamed of Portugal. Walking those cobblestone streets to the bakery in the morning. Then, down to the shops by the river. We would pay coins for pasteis de nata. Warm and crisp little cups of custard with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top. Then, we would walk around the city and take photos. Up to the park and to our favorite clothing store to say hi to the owner, David. Inevitably, we’d stop for lunch at Conga and stuff our faces with slow-braised pork sandwiches.

Everyone said the weather would be miserable there, likening it to Seattle. So I packed for cold and wet weather. But I have so many memories of walking around in shorts and a t-shirt. The sun reflecting off the river. Our favorite bench to sit at was next to a host of ships sponsored by various wine and beer companies. Next to the stalls of souvenir vendors. With a view of the entire city. The colorful buildings and the steep streets leading to the clocktower bisected by an occasional overhead gondola passing.

Seasoning + Tasting

We made caldo verde one night for dinner with potatoes and kale from the grocery store. We picked out a perfect package of Linguiça and chicken stock too. But when we finished cooking the potatoes I realized we had no immersion blender. So I spent nearly an hour carefully pouring portions of the boiling soup into several bowls. Cooling it outside on our terrace in the cold, dark night, and blending portion by portion until it all went back into the stock pot. It’s a good memory, still, despite the difficulty of it all. And it made it taste even better. Not quite as perfect as the caldo verde recipe at Conga, but satisfying nonetheless.

So this time I knew I had to spruce it up a bit. Especially with andouille and no Linguiça. So I added my favorite Hungarian paprika, garlic, and a little extra onion. And I marveled at how easy it was to blend with my immersion blender. It took merely seconds at high speed and I chuckled to myself thinking of the lack of effort. All that was left to do was add the cooked sausage and shredded kale. Let it bubble for a few more minutes, and serve. I added a couple splashes of extra chicken stock, too, to thin out the texture, since it was more like a potato puree at that point. I tasted it and seasoned it, too. And it was perfect.

Cozy October Nights

I actually really like making this caldo verde recipe with andouille. It imparts a subtle spice, like linguiça, and has a great smoky backbone. I added a few extra pieces, too, for more flavor. And I seared the extra 1/4 that I saved in my new pan. After taking my photos I devoured a half bowl and managed not to choke on the kale. The caldo verde was warm, slightly smoky and salty, and earthy from the kale. You can taste the onions and paprika, too, which add such a nice spice hum. I even encountered an unblended potato chunk, which soaked up all the flavor and had a soft, velvety texture. It was so good.

And ironically, the day after making my caldo verde recipe it was grey and cold. I spent the night in my sweat pants and bubbled up a bowl for my dinner, along with a few toasted scraps of milk bread. I finished out the week by working Saturday which was packed with hoards of friendly people curious about cooking. Customers delighted to see the things on their Christmas lists on our shelves. I caught up on Bake Off after and started planning to watch Halloween movies. Scream 7, Practical Magic 2.

Halloween Week

I’m really looking forward to this week. It’ll be fun to see kids come into the store Saturday dressed in costumes and it’ll feel great to get to hand them candy. We never have trick or treaters at home, so I’ve missed that magic community feeling of Halloween for a long time. I may even wear a costume. Whatever it is will have to go with an apron. Thankfully I’ll have caldo verde to take for lunch and to enjoy for a couple more cold Maine nights before November hits. The holiday season will likely be a blur. So I’m enjoying the calm before the storm. Life is good. And I’m grateful.

Thank you for reading! Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for 100’s of recipe cards and watercolor art prints. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Happy Halloween!

Print Pin

Caldo Verde

My favorite Portuguese potato and sausage soup with kale, onion, and garlic

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine Portuguese

Keyword kale, potato, sausage, soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 13 oz Andouille sausage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large white onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp paprika
• 3 large russet potatoes
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups shredded kale
• Salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

• Slice andouille sausage into small discs and sauté in a large dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat.
• Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and caramelized on both sides. Transfer to a plate to rest.
• Add olive oil to the sausage fat. Add chopped onions and diced garlic and stir to combine.
• Cook until translucent and soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add paprika and stir to combine.
• Peel and chop potatoes into small chunks and add to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Lower heat to low-medium and add chicken stock. Cook until soup is at a low boil.
• Continue to boil for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and easy to blend.
• Blend the soup until creamy and thickened on high speed with an immersion blender. Add chicken stock to thin to your desired consistency if needed.
• Add 3/4 the cooked sausage back to the pot and stir. Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes to infuse with the sausage flavor.
• Chop kale into thin ribbons and add to the soup just before serving. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

• Traditional Caldo Verde recipes use chouriço or linguiça. I think Andouille sausage is a great substitute if you can’t find Portuguese sausages in your area. 
• The texture of the soup should be similar to gravy. The potatoes as they cook continue to thicken, so don’t be afraid of adding more stock.