Happy New Year everyone! I guess all of you outside California are in danger of freezing solid; hope you’re warm and safe.
Guess what, I’m making soup again. I previously diaried soups here and here. This one has recently become another favorite of mine.
Portuguese Greens Soup (Caldo Verde)
from Joy of Cooking — about 10 cups. JOC is online now! — you may recognize their format below.
Heat in a large soup pot over medium-low heat:
1-1⁄2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil
Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Stir in:
8 cups Poultry Stock, Chicken Broth, or other light stock or broth (buy it, or make some in under an hour) [Rich people’s soup. My trusty printed JOC,1999 edition, says 2 cups stock + 6 cups water, or all water. That’s the only difference.]
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the potatoes in the pot.
Heat in a medium skillet over medium-high heat:
(1⁄2 teaspoon vegetable oil)
Add and cook, stirring, until browned:
6 ounces Portuguese linguiça, chorizo, or other smoked sausage, thinly sliced
[I like hot Italian sausage here.] Add to the pot. Pour 1 cup of the soup into the skillet, scrape up the browned bits, and return the liquid and browned bits to the soup. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in:
4 cups shredded kale, chard, or collard leaves (from a 6- to 8-ounce bunch), washed and dried
Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Digression — Soup in Literature
I’m a big fan of historical fiction, and this is from the bestselling Aubrey + Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars. In The Thirteen Gun Salute, their ship calls at Lisbon and they have time for a good dinner.
(Jack Aubrey) Have you any idea of what to order for dinner?
(Stephen Maturin) Cold green soup, grilled swordfish, roast sucking-pig, pineapple and the little round marchpane cakes whose name escapes me with our coffee.
Searching “cold green soup” doesn’t lead to any obviously Portuguese recipes, but their version must have resembled what American cooks call “green Gazpacho”. I have not tried this yet, but I wanted a recipe to go with my quote.
Cold Green Soup (green Gazpacho)
from A Side of Sweet — 4 servings
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the gazpacho:
- 2 cups whole grain bread, coarsely chopped
- 1 large English cucumber, coarsely chopped
- 6 tomatillos, husked and quartered
- 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Large handful arugula
- 1 cup water
For serving:
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon water or white wine
- Mint, for garnish
- Make the marinade by combining the Greek yogurt, white wine, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper
- Combine the bread and chopped vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Transfer ingredients to a blender, add water and blend on low for 30 seconds. Taste for salt and add as needed. Increase blender speed to high and blend for one minute until mixture is a smooth puree. Repeat as needed depending on the size of your blender.
- Chill at least four hours prior to serving. Drizzle with the thinned Greek yogurt and garnish with mint.
I made soup last night so I could take its picture; tonight I’m going out. A group I belong to is doing what we do best, which is giving ourselves a party, the announcement just says “buffet dinner”.
What’s for dinner tonight at your place? Maybe you could tell us about it in a future WFD! Please? Message ninkasi23 if you want to.