As winter slowly lingers, warm, comforting soups and stews are always on my mind. When I first came across this Portuguese green soup — caldo verde — it sounded right up my alley. Caldo verde is a nourishing, thick and hearty soup made with a puree of potatoes and onions and finely-shredded collard greens and a touch of olive oil. It’s served with hot smoked sausage (known as chouriço) and a slice of corn bread.

But, I had some hesitation…with such few ingredients, would it pack enough flavor?

Yet, I was pleasantly pleased. It’s simple, yet satisfying. No wonder it’s one of the most renowned and cherished dishes of Portugal. In fact, in 2011, a national contest deemed caldo verde one of the ‘seven wonders of Portuguese gastronomy.’

Traditionally, you’ll find this soup made with Portuguese cured sausage known as chouriço, which can be somewhat difficult to track down in the United States; so instead, I used Spanish chorizo. Spanish chorizo (which is already cooked) is briefly sautéed in the hot olive oil, which infuses the oil with its smoky, fatty, paprika goodness. This lends just the right amount of flavor and richness to tie this soup all together.

Since there are so few ingredients in this soup, homemade chicken stock will undoubtedly add more depth of flavor. I always have some on hand in the freezer (portioned out in ice cube trays).

I served the caldo verde with buttery, toasted homadama (a whole wheat bread with hominy) from Lost Bread Co. (Philadelphia, PA). Deliciosa!

Traditionally, the collard greens are thinly sliced into ribbons though, a rough chop would also suffice.

I mashed half of the potatoes and left the rest whole for texture…

Caldo Verde

2 bunches collard greens, stems removed and discarded
1/4 cup olive oil
6 ounces Portuguese chouriço or Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
1 large white onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds potatoes, cubed
7 cups good quality chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Stack a few collard green leaves and roll them like cigars. Cut them crosswise into very thin strips. Repeat with the rest of the leaves until all the collard greens are chopped.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. When hot, add the chorizo and cook briefly, about 30 seconds per side. With a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and set aside. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. When potatoes are fork tender, ladle about half of the potatoes with some stock into a blender jar (or alternatively with an immersion blender) and pulse briefly until the potatoes are broken down a bit but still have some texture (this will help to thicken the soup). Add back to the soup. (Note: Typically, all of the potatoes is blended, but I like to keep some of the potatoes unblended for added texture).

Add the collard greens and cook another 5 minutes until tender. Taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top each with a few slices of reserved chorizo.