Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage, and brown on both sides. Note that it is already cooked, so this step isn't strictly necessary, but I feel it adds a lot of flavor to the end result. Once browned, remove to a plate.

Step 2

Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil along with sliced onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 3

Add in diced potatoes and chopped collard green stems, mix well. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add chicken stock or broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

Step 5

Remove 1.5 cups of the potatoes and set aside. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in a regular blender in batches. (If using the latter method, you may wish to allow the soup to cool a bit before blending)

Step 6

Bring the soup back to a boil, then add back in the reserved potatoes, about ⅔ of the browned sausage, and the collard greens. Cook until collard greens are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Step 7

Serve garnished with remaining sausage and drizzled with more EVOO.