The portuguese green soup: Caldo Verde

HP
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Considered by many to be Portugal's national dish, caldo verde ( or as it's said in English Portuguese Kale soup ) is found everywhere — in the dining rooms of Lisbon's most luxurious hotels to the humblest of country homes. It's a versatile dish: Serve it as a one-course meal at lunch or as a light supper in the evening. What's crucial when preparing it is that the kale is cut into extremely fine slices; that's what creates the soup's distinctive character ( very thin slices, lol...not thick slices).
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup - Olive oil
• 1 large onion - diced
• 2 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced
• 250g chouriço - diced
• 6 medium potatoes - peeled and diced
• 8 cups of cold water
• 400g kale or collard greens
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and half the chouriço ( because i think you can't find chouriço in Hk, i can send it to you from Portugal or you can use also chinese sausage, lol ) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover everything with the water, bring to a boil and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 15 minutes.

2. When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens, bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining dices of chouriço.

3. This is completely optional, i never do it at home but if you go to any restaurant ( even the one i went when i was in HK ), they usually serve caldo verde with some loaves of bread toasted and with some melted butter spread on the bread...when you are eating the soup, it tastes so good to dip the bread in the soup and eat it like that. I even add just a very thin trickle of olive oil and just stir it with my spoon...hummm...i'm getting hungry now!!!
It's a soup you can eat not only in the Winter but also in the summer!!!!

BOM APETITE!!!!!



PS: She adds the chouriço into the soup, but you actually don't need to cook it, just simply add it after the soup is done...