Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup with Chorizo)
Originally posted January 2026. Updated September 2026.
When I landed in Portugal back in 2015, everyone was telling me, “You can’t leave without trying Caldo Verde.” I still remember that first bowl… and okay, I’ve got to be honest here… I was NOT impressed. It was a watery, bland potato soup with some greens and a slice of fatty chouriço. Chouriço is the Portuguese sausage version of the cured Spanish chorizo. Fast forward a few years, and this caldo verde recipe is on constant rotation in our kitchen. But it took a second bowl to win me over.
I’m open-minded when it comes to food, realizing not everyone’s recipe is going to be to my taste. My mother could take one of my recipes, make it using the same ingredients and measurements and some how, her version would be totally inedible. So, of course I tried another bowl of caldo verde sopa.
The second bowl did not disappoint. It was nice hot bowl of slightly smoky green potato soup (sopa in Portuguese) that was absolutely delicious. Served in an orange terra cotta bowl, with a single slice of chouriço floating on top like a little life raft of smoky, salty goodness and a slice of broa de milho (Portuguese cornbread) on the side.
I was immediately a convert to this simple, humble, honest soup. Potatoes, onions, kale, sausage… nothing fancy, yet it felt like Portugal in a bowl. So, now I’m one of the people who’s also saying, “If you come to Portugal…”
The Soup that Should be Portugal’s Official Soup
Caldo Verde literally means “green broth,” in Portuguese. If Portugal had an official soup, it’s this one. It was born up north in the Minho region, where farmers got through damp winters on potatoes, onions, and their beloved couve galega (Portuguese kale) to keep them warm in the damp winters. Btw, couve is also cabbage, kale, and collards in Portugal. So it can get a bit confusing.
Over time, the soup found its way to everywhere in Portugal and it’s almost impossible not to find it on cafe menus across the country. Usually served with a hunk of rustic broa de milho (corn bread) to dunk in it for a couple of euros.
It’s not just me saying the caldo verde should be the official soup, either. Back in 2011, caldo verde was voted one of Portugal’s ‘7 Wonders of Gastronomy’. And hey, if you’re in New England, you can try the cousin to caldo verde, ‘Portuguese kale soup’ which was brought over by Portuguese families who settled in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Those versions are chunky, sometimes with beans, but the recipe comes from Portugal.
In Portugal, you’ll find caldo verde pretty much any time of the year. And at the festivals including the sardine festivals in June/July. It’s one of the few soups made year around in Portugal. The rest are very seasonal depending on when the ingredients are in. Like another of our favorites, the sopa de feijao verde (green bean soup) which is more often in the spring and fall.
Btw, it’s hard to get fresh sardines in the States, so try this Canned Sardines and Grilled Red Pepper Salad recipe for a taste of the festivals.
My Twist on the Classic Caldo Verde Recipe
For years, potato leek soup has been my cold-weather comfort back in the States. Usually finished with cream for that silky restaurant texture. After leaving in Portugal, I gotta say the Caldo Verde has taken it’s place. No more cream in my potato soups. Instead the blend potatoes gives it the cream without the added dairy. It still feels like comfort food, but it’s now lighter and healthier.
Btw, outside of Portugal, I’ve seen Caldo Verde recipes with cream added. BUT once you’ve had the real thing, you’ll understand why it’s a hard NO. The blended potatoes are so velvety.
So, my version of the recipe is fully based on traditional recipes. As always, every family has their own recipe. Mine is based on the recipe given to me by one of the local farmer’s market vendors who is always sharing recipes with me. He insists leeks and turnips add extra depth and sweetness. I totally agree with him. The soup is better with them.
My add to the recipe is to stir in red lentils for additional protein. Since hitting the menopause phase of life, more protein is a must. And it’s so easy to add red lentils to soups and stews because they just disappear, without even changing the taste. I easily hide one to two cups in the Caldo Verde recipe without anyone noticing. It makes the soup more filling.
I also add a touch of nutmeg. Cause to me, nutmeg and potato soups are a natural pairing that is an absolute must.
If you wanna go fully traditional, leave out the lentils and nutmeg. But if you’re wanting a soup that doubles as a whole meal, the lentils, are our little secret weapon.
So What Makes Caldo Verde “Caldo Verde”
Core Ingredients
At its core, Caldo Verde is about a few key ingredients:
- Thinly sliced greens
- Potatoes doing the thickening
- Onions
- Smoky chouriço and bacon
- Water
The Greens
Historically, the green in Caldo Verde is couve galega, a long-leafed Portuguese green cabbage. Outside Portugal, collard greens or lacinato kale (Tuscan kale) are your best substitutes. The most important thing isn’t the exact variety as much as how they are cut. You want thin – really thing – fine ribbons, so they soften quickly.
I’m lucky here in Portugal, I just buy them at the market already done. But if you’re in the States, you’ll need to slice them yourself.
The trick to cutting them so thin is to use a very sharp knife and rolling the leaves together. Then slice the thinly, almost like you’re shaving them. It’s a bit of a chore, but so worth it. Don’t skip this step.
My Chouriço Hack
So in Portugal, they don’t render the chourico ahead of time like I do. Instead, they add it after the stick blender step. It kinda ‘boils’ in the soup as it finishes. Which also unfortunately, leaves the fat chunks in it, un-rendered.
Now I don’t know about you, but I’m not into ‘boiling’ my cured sausage. Which is why I chose to render it first. Then you have those delicious smoky fats to help flavor the whole soup as it cooks. It adds so much more flavor. And the whole soup is built around the sausage from the start. I use a spicy one because we love spice. Use the leftover to make another Portuguese favorite, Fava Bean Stew with Spicy Chorizo (Favas com Enchidos).
Either way you cook it, caldo verde gets its smoky, salty depth from both the chouriço and a little bacon. Don’t skip either one.
Quick note on chouriço: This is a Portuguese cured sausage that’s very similar to the Spanish one. The fresh Mexican chorizo is not a substitute here.
Serving, Bread, and Little Extras
Every bowl of Caldo Verde gets at least one slice of chorizo in it. You’ve been cheated if you don’t get one. If you like more meat, double the amount of sausage added to the recipe.
Now traditionally you serve this soup with broa de milho, a rustic northern corn bread that has a cracked crust and dense early crumb. I adore this bread. It’s totally different from traditional Southern cornbread. BUT if you’re in the States, our cornbread pairs well with the caldo verde. Or you can use a good crusty bread.
Finish the dish with a tiny drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil right before serving.
The hubby and I adore this soup. It’s on regular rotation especially when we’ve been busy with the business. We always make an extra large pot and freeze it so we have easy lunches or dinner during a busy workweek. It keeps us eating healthy when we don’t have time to cook.
So, which soups are your favorites? Have you tried Caldo Verde? Let me know in the comments below, if you’re tried the recipe or if you’re cooking up a pot soon. Btw, if you have questions, drop them there as well.
Recommended Ingredients and Tools for Your Caldo Verde
Ingredients
- Spicy Spanish Chorizo — I find it hard to find Portuguese chouriço outside of Portugal, so I recommend using a Spanish chorizo instead.
- Red Lentils — If you’re looking to up your protein without feeling like you’re eating loads of protein, red lentils are your friend. They easily disappear in soups and stews. Want a traditional recipe, leave the lentils out.
- Savory Spice Shop Whole Nutmeg — You can use ground nutmeg, but I highly recommend using whole because the flavor is so much more intense.
Tools
- Immersion (stick) blender — In the Portuguese kitchen, having a stick blender is a non-negotiable. You can blend the soup right in the pot.
- Heavy Dutch oven or soup pot — I use a Dutch oven pot to make this soup, but as you can see in the photos, I also use a large soup pot. The Dutch oven holds heat more evenly which helps prevent scorching.
- Authentic Caldo Verde Soup Bowls — of course, you can use regular soup bowls as well, but if you want to serve your Caldo Verde or Feijao Verde in traditional Portuguese terra cotta bowls, then grab this set.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Caldo Verde
- What greens can I use for caldo verde outside Portugal? Collard greens are the closest match to couve galega, the Portuguese kale traditionally used. The dark lacinato or Tuscan kale is a close second for flavor match. I don’t recommend curly kale except as a last resort because the flavor isn’t intense enough. For any of them, strip out the tough center stems before slicing. Got extra collards? Use the extras in my Southern-style collard greens recipe.
- Can I freeze caldo verde? Absolutely. We freeze it all the time. For the best results, freeze the blended potato base and then add in the greens later when you reheat. That way your greens stay bright green. But you can also freeze after adding. Just expect your greens to be the color of army green. Keep in the freezer up to 3 months.
- Is caldo verde gluten-free? YES. The soup is naturally gluten-free… potatoes, greens, and chorizo. If you use bouillon cubes, check to make sure they are gluten-free. And your sausage because some brands use wheat-based fillers.
- Can I make caldo verde vegetarian or vegan? You can… but you’ll lose the smoky backbone that makes caldo verde what it is. If you skip the sausage and the bacon, try add a pinch of smoked paprika to add the smokiness. It’s not quite the same, but at least, you’ll get some of it. Then double the red lentils to give it more filling protein.
- What’s the difference between caldo verde and potato leek soup? Both are creamy and silky. But potato leek soup is finished with cream. Caldo Verde gets its texture from the blended potatoes.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup with Chorizo)
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium-size Portuguese yellow potatoes Yukon Gold are a good substitute
- 1 small Onion diced
- 3 small Turnips diced
- 2 Leeks cleaned and sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1-2 cups Red lentils optional
- 3.5 ounces Thick bacon diced
- 7 ounces Portuguese chouriço Spanish chorizo is a good substitute
- 2 Fresh bay leaves or 3 dried bay leaves
- 1 pound Collards or dark green kale thinly sliced
- ¼–½ tsp Ground nutmeg optional
- 3 cubes Chicken bouillon
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 8.5-12.5 cups Water
- Olive oil for drizzling on top
Instructions
- Add the sliced chorizo to a large soup pot and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the sausage edges are lightly browned, about 5–8 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to lift out the chorizo and set aside in a bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Add the diced bacon, onion, and sliced leeks to the pot with a pinch of salt.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they’re completely soft but not browned, about 8–10 minutes, so they melt into the base of the soup.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Then add the diced potatoes, diced turnips, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, and red lentils (if using), stirring to coat everything in the aromatics.
- Pour 8½ cups of water to start. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes, turnips, and lentils are very soft and starting to break apart, about 20–25 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves if using dried leaves; fresh ones can stay in.
- Using a stick (immersion) blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth and velvety.
- If it’s thicker than you like, add more water a cup at a time until you reach your preferred consistency; Caldo Verde should be thick but still sippable from a spoon.
- Stir in the ground nutmeg (if using), then taste and season with freshly ground black pepper. Remember the bouillon, bacon, and chouriço are salty, so add salt gradually to your taste.
- Add the thinly sliced collards or kale to the pot and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer.
- Cook just until the greens are tender but still bright, about 5–10 minutes, depending on how thinly they’re sliced.
- Return the rendered chouriço (and any juices in the bowl) to the pot and stir through.
- Let the soup simmer for another 2–3 minutes so the flavors mingle, then taste again and adjust seasoning or water as needed.
- Ladle into warm bowls, add a good drizzle of olive oil on top, and serve with a slice of broa de milho (Portuguese corn bread) or a good crusty bread for dunking; broa is the traditional partner for Caldo Verde and its dense crumb is perfect for soaking up the soup.
Notes
- Make ahead & freeze: freeze the blended base with the chouriço; add fresh greens when reheating. Keeps 3 months frozen, 4 days in the fridge.
- Traditional version: skip the lentils and nutmeg.
| Per serving (1 cup lentils) | |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~300 kcal |
| Total Fat | ~12.5g |
| Saturated Fat | ~4g |
| Carbohydrates | ~34g |
| Fiber | ~6.5g |
| Sugar | ~3.5g |
| Protein | ~14.5g |
| Sodium | ~670mg |