Caldo Verde – Authentic Portuguese Kale Soup

Begin by prepping your ingredients. Peel the potatoes and roughly chop them. Also, roughly chop the onions. Peel the garlic cloves, leaving them whole. Cut off the string and metal bits attached to the chouriço. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, and chouriço to a large soup pot, then cover them with boiling water.

Add the bay leaf and a couple of sprigs of thyme to the pot. Place the pot over high heat and bring the contents to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to medium - low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork - tender.

While the soup is simmering, sanitize the collard greens. First, cut off the hard stem in the middle of each leaf. Then, pile the leaves together and roll them into a tight roll. Hold the roll firmly with one hand and use a sharp knife to slice the roll as thinly as possible.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the chouriço, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs from the pot. Blend the soup base until it is completely smooth. Add the thinly sliced collard greens to the pot. Cook the soup over low heat, stirring often, until the greens are soft but still have a vibrant color, which should take about 8 minutes.

Cut the chouriço into thin slices. Pan - fry the slices in their own fat until they are golden and lightly crispy. Add the chouriço back into the soup pot, along with some of the fat it released. Set aside some slices for garnishing.

Season the soup with paprika, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup with a couple of slices of fried chouriço on top and a drizzle of chilli oil. Enjoy!