Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Soup)
Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Soup) – A rustic sausage potato and kale soup with bold flavor and chunky texture. This slightly creamy version is so enticing you’ll want to make it again and again!
Cozy Portuguese Kale Soup
We eat soup all winter long. At least a couple times a week I find myself standing over a stew pot, giving it the final stir before ladling into bowls and sitting down for a cozy meal.
Some of my favorite winter soups include heavily-seasoned ingredients and lots of fresh produce.
Today’s Caldo Verde soup is the ultimate winter soup in my opinion. It’s rich and hearty with lots of chunks and a robust sausage essence.
Caldo Verde, meaning green broth, is the Portuguese counterpart to the Italian Zuppa Toscana. It involves Portugal’s regional sausage, greens, and potatoes with slight alterations that offer a unique flavor.
Our Favorite Caldo Verde Recipe Variation
Since Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup is a rustic comfort food historically made in homes all over the country, there isn’t just one way to make it.
Many variations of this Portuguese Sausage-Greens-Potato Soup combination exist. It is sometimes called Portuguese Bean Soup, Kale Soup, or Green Soup.
Some use kale, while others use collard greens. Some include beans; others do not. Most call for a Portuguese hard sausage with a strong garlic flavor called Chouriço. Other recipes use Linguiça sausage.
Portuguese sausages are not readily available in the United States, therefore, you can substitute hard Spanish chorizo for the Chouriço. It is very similar.
Some might even say it’s the same thing. *wink*
Please Note: This Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Soup) is not a strictly authentic version… It’s more of a Portuguese-American variation introduced to me by a Portuguese immigrant. This is how her family makes this soup here in the United States.
However, it offers a bold comforting flavor that is reminiscent of traditional Portuguese soup. In fact, I would dare to say my new Portuguese friend improved on the original recipe.
Caldo Verde Recipe Adjustments
After tasting Caldo Verde recipes made by others, then experimenting with my own recipe, I decided I like the addition of white beans, sherry, smoked paprika, and a little heavy cream at the end to provide a luxurious silky texture.
Although adding paprika and cream eliminates the green in the green broth, they create a marvelous flavor and texture that intensifies the overall appeal of this traditional soup.
Trust me, you will adore this kicked-up Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup recipe.
So much so, you might want to kick your classic Zuppa Toscana recipe to the curb!
Ingredients You Need
- Oil – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes – yukon gold or russet potatoes
- Kale – chopped
- Chicken broth
- Sherry – cooking sherry is fine
- Lemon zest
- Smoked paprika
- Portuguese sausage – spicy pork sausages
- White beans
- Heavy cream
How To Make Portuguese Soup
- Sauté: Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté the veggies until soft.
- Boil: Next, add the potatoes, chopped kale, chicken broth, sherry, lemon zest, and smoked paprika to the pot. Simmer to soften the potatoes and kale.
- Add Rustic Richness: Stir in the sausage, white beans, and heavy cream. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
Tips & Tricks
- Finely chop the kale so there are no large chunks in the soup, and they will get super tender that way!
- For a bit of extra spice, add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper!
- If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, skip the sherry and replace it with more broth!
Get the Full (Printable) Caldo Verde Recipe Below + Video. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Caldo Verde?
Caldo Verde means “green broth,” and it gets its green color from leafy greens like kale or collard greens. This recipe is inspired by the traditional Portuguese soup, Caldo Verde, made with a few adjustments.
How long does this Portugues Bean Soup Recipe last?
This soup will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You can warm it back up on the stovetop to make it taste like it did the first day you made it!
Can I freeze this soup?
This Caldo Verde recipe can be frozen and kept in the freezer for up to 6 months! When you are ready to reheat it, place it in the fridge the night before you want to make it, to thaw, and then warm it up on the stovetop when you are ready to eat it.
Do I double all the ingredients if I want to double this recipe?
Yes! This is a great recipe to double and freeze half for later. Our “Servings Slider” tool on the recipe card can help you determine how much of each ingredient you need for the amount you want to make.
Can I make this without the sausage?
You can make Portuguese Green Soup without the sausage, although it loses its unique flavor. If you want to omit the sausage for dietary reasons, you could use vegan chorizo.
More Amazing Soup Recipes
- Classic Sausage and Kale Soup
- Chicken Barley Soup with Kale
- Healthy Chicken White Bean Soup
- Cozy Beef Barley Soup
- Ham Bone Navy Bean Soup
- Nana’s Creamy Potato Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
- Pozole Verde de Pollo (Chicken Pozole)
- Instant Pot Green Chicken Chili
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup (Vegan and Gluten Free)
- 15 Bean Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup (With Biscuits)
- Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Soup)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled, quartered, and sliced thin
- 4 cups finely chopped kale, collard or mustard greens
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- Zest of one lemon
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 ounces hard Portuguese Chouriço sausage, Linguiça, or Spanish Chorizo
- 15 ounces white beans, drained (1 can)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place a 6-quart heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Next add the potatoes, chopped kale, chicken broth, sherry, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes to soften the potatoes and kale.
- Peel the casing off the sausage. Cut the sausage links into quarters lengthwise. Then slice into thin wedges. Stir in the sausage, white beans, and heavy cream. Simmer another 5 minutes. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
This looks good! Would you think beef broth would work instead of chicken broth? I have homemade beef broth I’d love to use.
Thanks!
This was good but we found it a little bland. I expected it to be spicy but it was not so I added crushed red pepper. Used 16 oz chorico and added double kale (we love kale in soup). I will make this again.
I have made several other recipes . This is the best as it has beans, zest and other ingredients that layer flavor.I don’t know if the recipe is true to Portuguese cooking but it tastes great.
As a CIA trained chef I am expected to contribute to others and this is a go-to hit.
It couldn’t be simpler or faster to make a good soup.
Thanks for the well thought out recipe.
This is not Caldo Verde, Soupa de couve or kale soup is a completely different soup. This version looks very similar to kale soup, most authentic versions have some type of pork bones, sweet potato in addition to white potatoes, and even elbow macaroni, and ALWAYS eaten with paposeco or any white crusty bread is good because if you know Portuguese people you know we like our starches!
This soup looks amazing. I was looking for my own version of it to surprise someone and I will try this for sure!!! Thank you so much.
Wow, this was delicious! Came to the end and didn’t have the cream I thought I had so we skipped. It was hearty and flavorful—I used more paprika, black pepper and added some red chili pepper flakes. I love the beans in it, too. Great recipe!
Honestly, this is the most exciting and amazing stuff shared. I really appreciate your time and for this knowledge.
This is not caldo verde, please do your research. However, the soup you made must taste good. I’m Portuguese and have been making caldo verde for years. Unfortunately, cooks are labeling Poetuguese veggie soups can contain kale as caldo verde.
She said it was her take on it she explained it was American Portuguese and her version of it.
I will try this way, I am Portuguese but my family moved to Canada in my teens. My mother made this soup frequently as in Canada we have a lot of Portuguese ingredients like chorico and linguica if my mother was in a hurry she would substitute potatoes with instant potatoes it would cut down in cooking time also we don’t use the beans, that is a different soup made with collard greens and beans.We also use plain paprika not hot. My region doesn’t like hot food.
I gave the soup you made a 5 rating because I have made it and does taste good. Sorry, I didn’t realize that I previously responded.
I made this tonight, so delicious, thank you so much! My whole family loved it and had seconds which is a high honor, they don’t normally go back for more of anything lol 😘🤌 *chefs kiss*