• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Panning The Globe
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
×

Home » Recipes » Soup

Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup: Caldo Verde

September 8, 2013 Updated March 5, 2020 by Lisa Goldfinger 237 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Portugal's famous sausage kale potato soup, also known as caldo verde, is beyond delicious! Made with smoky garlicky sausages and plenty of kale and potatoes, this hearty soup verges on a stew and make a wonderfully satisfying one-pot dinner. 

a blue Dutch oven filled with Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup

In Portugal the most popular meat is pork and the best-loved soup is sausage kale potato soup. When I was in Lisbon and Porto there was a version of caldo verdo on every restaurant menu. It's also a popular dish at weddings and other special occasions.

The Caldo Verde recipe originated in the Minho region of northern Portugal. You might be familiar with the delicious sparkling wine called Vinho Verde, which hails from that same region.

A bowl of Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup

HOW TO MAKE PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE KALE POTATO SOUP

There are only 6 main ingredients in this soup: sausages, kale, potatoes, chicken broth, onions and garlic. 

  • One of the key ingredients of Caldo Verde is Linguica sausage. It's a smoked pork sausage, flavored with garlic and sweet paprika. If you can't find Linguica, you can substitute another smoked sausage, such as Chourico or even Spanish Chorizo.
  • The first step to making sausage kale potato soup is to sauté the sausages. The fat and browned bits that are left in the pot will enhance the flavor of the soup.
  • I like to slice one sausage into rounds and brown it, for a tasty garnish. The rest of the sausages are chopped and cooked in the soup to thicken it and to ensure that you get some delicious sausage in every bite.

how to cut and chop sausages for Caldo Verde: Portuguese sausage, kale, potato soup

  • After the sausages are browned and removed from the pot, add the chopped onions and garlic and cook them for a few minutes until softened. Then add cubed potatoes, broth and water to the pot and cook until the potatoes have softened, about 15 minutes. 
  • Use a potato masher to mash half of the potatoes, right in the pot, leaving the other half as chunks of potato, for texture. 
  • Now add the cooked chopped sausage and the raw kale and cook the soup for a few more minutes until the kale is wilted and soup is heated through. 

How to prepare kale

  • For this soup I love to use the darker, more delicate lacinato kale. In addition to being delicious, it's packed with vitamins and minerals.

How to prepare kale

  • Kale has a thick center rib which we want to remove. Pull the green leafy parts off of the center ribs, then stack the leaves on top of each other and slice them crosswise, into thin slivers. Now they're ready to add to the soup and will take only a few minutes to cook in the hot broth.

shredded lacinato kale

How to prepare the potatoes

  • I like to use russet potatoes for this recipe. Peel them, slice them in half lengthwise and then crosswise into bite-sized chunks. Once you add them to the soup, they'll need only about 15 minutes of cooking.
  • After the potatoes cook in the broth, half of them are mashed, which makes the soup thick and creamy.  The other half remain in bite-sized chunks, adding great texture to this sausage kale potato soup.

how to slice potatoes for sausage kale potato soup

What to serve with Sausage Kale Potato Soup

  • If you want to stick with tradition, serve caldo verde soup with brown bread or corn bread on the side, to dip.
  • Although there are plenty of greens in this soup, I always enjoy a cold salad on the side with a hot soup. If you're in the mood for a side salad, I recommend this butter lettuce salad with citrus honey vinaigrette

a bowl of sausage kale potato soup with a couple of russet potatoes o the side

If you like this kind of tasty one-pot dinner, here are a few other Panning The Globe recipes you might enjoy: 

  • Curried Butternut Squash, Lentil and Chicken Stew
  • Moroccan Chicken Stew with Apricots, Sweet Potatoes and Kale 
  • Korean Chicken Stew with Spinach

Pull out your Dutch oven for this delicious one pot dinner - Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup|Panning The Globe

Here's the recipe for Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Pull out your Dutch oven for this delicious one pot dinner - Portuguese Sausage Kale Potato Soup|Panning The Globe

Portuguese sausage kale potato soup


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 5-7 1x
Print Recipe

Description

A nutritious satisfying one-pot dinner that's fairly simple to cook.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
  • 1 ½ pounds fully-cooked, smoked Linguica sausage - slice one fourth of the sausage into thin rounds - the rest into ¼-inch dice (Chorizo or Chourico are good substitutes if you can't find Linguica)
  • 2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (2 medium onions)
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (5-6 cloves)
  • 4 cups low salt chicken broth (I recommend Swanson's)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled, sliced into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch chunks.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 bunch kale, washed, thick center ribs removed, and slivered (I prefer the dark green dinosaur kale but any kale is fine)

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté the sausage rounds for 1 minute or two, until they are nicely browned. Transfer to a small plate and set aside. Add diced sausage to the pot and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until they start to brown a bit. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot, along with the chopped garlic and onions. Sauté over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until onions soften and start to get transparent. (Don't let them brown)
  3. Add broth, water, potatoes and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a steady simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash half the potatoes right in the pot, so you have a creamy broth with some chunks of potato remaining.
  4. Add the cooked chopped sausage and the slivered kale. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the kale wilts and the soup is heated through.
  5. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a few rounds of cooked sausage. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a the advice of a professional nutritionist.

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: Portuguese

Keywords: sausage kale potato soup, Portuguese kale soup,

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

More Soup

  • Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup
  • Turkey Soup with Turkey Dumplings (Kreplach)
  • Rich Homemade Chicken Soup
  • 30 Minute Healthy Turkey Vegetable Soup

Filed Under: All Recipes, Europe, Lunch and Brunch, main course, Most Popular Recipes, Soup Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, pork, potatoes

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Peggy D.

    September 10, 2013 at 1:17 pm

    Pozole!

    Reply
    • Peggy D.

      September 10, 2013 at 1:19 pm

      Haha sorry, didn't mean to re-post -- and now I have to make the stuff! I'll be looking for kale to make Caldo Verde, though, it sounds amazing!!

      Reply
  2. Kim

    September 10, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    I love soup and it's hard to pick a favorite. Probably from scratch chicken soup followed by golden cauliflower soup.

    Reply
  3. Rory H.

    September 10, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    Lentil soup on a cold rainy day!

    Reply
  4. Bev M

    September 10, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    2 favorites.... Beef Stew and Broccoli Cheddar Soup .... and now I think when I make this soup, Portuguese sausage kale potato soup may make it to the top of the list... sounds yummy... I might even add some sweet potatoes to it..... yum

    Reply
  5. sara

    September 10, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    I love a good posole!

    Reply
  6. Peggy D.

    September 10, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    Pozole...

    Reply
  7. Kristen M

    September 10, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    My favorite is potato soup but I love kale and sausage. I will be bookmarking this recipe to make soon.

    Reply
  8. Cheryl

    September 10, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    someone is reading my mind...been looking for this recipe..

    Reply
  9. William S.

    September 10, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    I love soup from all over the world. But if I had to pick, it would be my grandmother's Borscht around Christmastime. Nothing really special about it, just great memories.

    Reply
  10. Alex

    September 10, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    I like a good ham and potato soup now and then.

    Reply
  11. Michele

    September 10, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    Potato soup is my families favorite!

    Reply
  12. Elizabeth

    September 10, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    I love veggie loaded minestrone!

    Reply
  13. Stephanie W

    September 10, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    My favorite soup is Zuppa Tuscana from Olive Garden and I make a mock recipe of at home. This looks recipe looks extremely similar minus the heavy cream! Look forward to trying it soon.

    Reply
  14. Gabrielle

    September 10, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    Mmmmm! This looks perfect for making beef stew with carrots and onions. I'll actually be ordering my first piece of cast iron in a day or so (a skillet) from Lodge! It'd be awesome to add this piece to my growing cookware collection! 😀

    Reply
  15. Andrea

    September 10, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    I love Beef Stew in the middle of Winter.

    Reply
  16. David Bell

    September 10, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    Texas style chilli

    Reply
  17. David Bell

    September 10, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    Beef stew with lots of veggies

    Reply
  18. Lisa

    September 10, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Love Caldo Verde! I make a vegan version of this great soup throughout the fall and winter.

    And I love cooking with cast iron so much, I have a tattoo of a cast iron skillet on my forearm! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Diana Cote

    September 10, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    My favorite soup is spicy sausage and lentil soup, next to that is a Colombian beef soup with yuca, potato, beef and lots of cilantro... its amazing! My favorite stew is my own, i add a lot to it... even fruit in there. it's really good, it's rich and hearty and filling and it has a tomato-y base that i love. 🙂 my hubby who is picky about veggies loves it. 😀

    Reply
  20. Jeremy Wildeman

    September 10, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    Looks good, I would have to make it more Paleo friendly though by passing on the potatoes and adding some extra protein maybe.

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Panning the Globe

Hi, I'm Lisa! I believe we can all make the world's most delicious dishes at home.
I'm excited to share with you hundreds of fabulous, globally inspired recipes to feed your family and entertain your friends.

More about me →

TRENDING FAVORITES

  • Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac
  • Award Winning White Chicken Chili
  • Eddie's Award Winning Chili
  • Indian Lamb Biryani
  • The Best Easy Ratatouille Recipe
  • Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Spinach and Avocado
  • Healthy Shepherd's Pie
  • Senegalese Chicken Yassa

MORE POPULAR RECIPES

STAY ON TOP OF WHAT’S COOKING

Subscribe to our free newsletter and get the newest recipes and seasonal menu ideas sent directly to your inbox.

Footer

LET'S CONNECT!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

↑ back to top

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Browse

  • Contact
  • All Recipes
  • Quick & Easy Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes

banner with names of publications that have featured recipes from panning the globe

COPYRIGHT © 2019 · LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE · ALL TEXT, RECIPES, CONTENT AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE.

PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT ME · SUBSCRIBE

  • 8
7.5K shares