Caldo verde (Portuguese soup with kale)
This past summer for the first time I signed up for our neighborhood CSA. Its been both a blessing and a curse. There is definitely something to be said about supporting a local farmer and receiving a bounty of fresh vegetables each week. From beets to rutabaga, its been fun and instructive to cook with both familiar and not so familiar veggies. But at the same time trying to get through, week after week, a box load of vegetables can become a bit of a chore. After all, there is only so much squash or chard one can eat!
Kale is a case in point. Figuring out different ways of using this dark green vegetable has been an ‘interesting’ experience. Fortunately, kale is so versatile that it goes well with all kinds of cuisines. I’ve already talked about one of my go-to dishes, Korean rice cakes. Today, its the turn of another dish that is part of my regular rotation: a Portuguese soup known as Caldo Verde, literally “green broth”. Its a tasty and healthy dish that takes almost no time to whip up. And its a perfect way to mop up all that kale!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow potato, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch kale, washed and stemmed
- ⅓ lb shrimp, cleaned, shelled, and cut in half
- ½ dried spicy chorizo sausage, cut into thin disks
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Parsley
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high and fry garlic and onions until soft (about 5 min).
- Add the potatoes, a pinch of salt, and fry for another 5 min stirring so that the potatoes don't stick to the bottom.
- Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Meanwhile, cut the kale into thin strips.
- Once the potatoes are done, mash them with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the kale and shrimp and simmer uncovered until both are done (about 3-4 min).
- Add the chorizo and pepper to taste, and adjust salt.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
