Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale Soup)

My Great Grandmother (Nana) used to make this for me as a kid.  My variation was using chicken stock, adding a couple of bay leaves and the one thing my Nana always used when cooking was “Grandma’s Spanish Seasoning” which is now called Chili Powder on the bottle.  The apple cider vinegar is the one staple in a lot of Portuguese cooking.  I didn’t mash the potatoes I left them as chunks.  Salt & pepper to your liking…I like the salt & pepper. 

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

Makes about 2½ quarts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound chourico, linguica, or dry-cured chorizo sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium onions, chopped
Salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts homemade or packaged low-sodium chicken broth, or water
2 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and sliced about 3/8 inch thick
1 bunch (about ¾ pound) kale or collard greens
Pepper
2 teaspoons cider vinegar, or more to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it ripples. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until it browns lightly, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and set aside. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small bowl, and set aside.

Return the pot to medium heat, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth or water and potatoes, increase the heat to high, and bring to a strong simmer. Cover and cook vigorously until the potatoes are soft around the edges but still firm in the center, about 7 minutes. (If you prefer a thicker broth, mash about half of the potatoes against the side of the pot.) Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cut out and discard the tough center stems of the kale or collard leaves. Following the directions in Kitchen Aide, chiffonade the greens (you should have about 8 cups). Add the greens and cooked sausage, stir to mix, and simmer just until the greens are tender and bright green, about 4½ minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons salt, pepper to taste, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar, and stir to mix. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or vinegar, if necessary, and serve at once, drizzling each portion with some of the reserved oil.