Caldo Verde

Was in a doctor’s office yesterday and, with time to kill, I started flipping through a magazine when I came across a recipe for Caldo Verde or “Portuguese Green Soup”. What immediately caught my eye with this one is two of my favourite ingredients….. Chorizo sausage and Navy beans and so I knew I just had to make it.

Traditional Caldo Verde, from what I have managed to find out, contains ( amongst other things) Kale and Potatoes but seeing how I didn’t have Kale and didn’t really feel like peeling potatoes I left them out and substituted Savoy cabbage for the Kale. In addition I strayed a little bit more from the recipe I found by adding a bit of spice in the form of a Poblano pepper and some Cajun seasoning. The addition of the Cajun seasoning and the Poblano pepper makes this a perfect “I feel awful from a cold” type of soup since it provides a warm and comfy feeling and the spices help clear your sinuses.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

• 5 Chorizo sausages cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups Navy beans – washed and rinsed
• 1 medium Poblano pepper – seeded and diced
• 1 medium yellow Onion – diced
• 1/2 head of a small Savoy cabbage – thinly sliced
• 4 Garlic cloves – finely diced
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 cups low sodium Chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• Sea salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste
• Olive baguette (optional)

Putting it all together:

1. Place the Navy beans in a large non reactive bowl, cover with water and set aside for about 2 hours
2. When the beans have softened place the Olive oil and Chorizo in a large pot or Dutch oven and brown on medium high heat – about 5 to 8 minutes
3. Remove the sausage and set aside.
4. Add the onion, Poblano pepper and garlic to the pot and sauté for about 3 minutes
5. Add in the chicken stock, Navy beans and the remainder of the seasonings and simmer for about 15 minutes
6. Add back the Chorizo and mix well
7. Mix in the cabbage and continue simmering for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage has softened
8. Adjust the seasonings and enjoy

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                            Bon Appetit