Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 0.3 cup, finely diced Onion
- 2, minced Garlic Cloves
- 6 medium size, peeled & cubed Gold Potatoes
- 8 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 links, sliced Vegan Spicy Sausage
- 4 cups, de-stemmed & chopped Kale
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Directions
Fully plant-based, savory and slightly spicy Portuguese vegan caldo verde soup.
This potato and kale soup from northern Portugal, is one of those soups that is perfect for rainy days.
Caldo verde translates to ‘green broth’ and it traditionally made with dark leafy greens, potatoes, and chouriço sausage this soup is easy to make and very hearty and comforting.
I was first introduced to this dish when my husband asked if I could make it. His dad, who immigrated to the US from Portugal in the late 1960s often made this soup for his family.
After both my husband and I decided to go mostly plant-based, this was one of those recipes that was easily converted for a vegan diet.
I swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth and the meat for vegan spicy sausage.
As with most soups, garlic and onion are traditionally added as well.
Next, peeled and cubed potatoes are added then cooked to perfection in broth.
Most of the flavor come from the spicy vegan sausage. I like to add salt and pepper at the very end.
I almost always have kale on hand but you can also use collar greens, Swiss chard or spinach!
I like this soup brothy with chunks of potato but you can also use a stick blender to blend this soup before adding the greens and sausage.
Please leave your review for this vegan caldo verde soup in the comment section below.
Steps
1 Done | Quick Prep WorkWash, peel and dice the potatoes. Wash the kale then remove the stems and chop roughly. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic - or use a garlic press! Some vegan sausages have a plastic casing. Be sure to remove the casing then slice. |
2 Done | Make The SoupHeat a large soup pot over high heat then add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium then add the diced onion and sauté for 1 minute. Next, add the minced garlic then the cubed potatoes. Stir then add the vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the sliced vegan sausage and chopped kale. Stir and cook for 5-10 minutes. Lastly, season with salt and black pepper. I also like to add nutritional yeast, but this ingredient is optional. Stir and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. |
3 Done | ServeLadle the soup into bowl and add more freshly ground pepper on top, if desired. This soup can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. |
2 Comments Hide Comments
I grew up eating this soup. My grandfather was half Portuguese and his father (who came over on a boat with his brothers in the early days of 1900’s)made it a lot. We used mustard greens and pepperoni, and called it “Swamp Soup”. lol.
I too became vegan a decade ago and have always wanted to veganize it, but wasn’t sure how to. I did buy some spicy Italian Beyond sausages, but not sure if I should cook them first or slice and add to the pot raw. Ideas?
Hi Julie! So happy to hear the backstory! Yes, I would recommend cooking the raw vegan meat in the pot with a bit of oil first. Let me know how it turns out! You can also send me a picture via Instagram.