Portuguese Kale Soup (Caldo Verde Recipe) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

Portuguese Kale Soup (Caldo Verde Recipe) – 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 Portuguese 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 Italian Zuppa Toscana. It involves Portugal’s regional sausage, greens, and potatoes with slight alterations that offer up a unique flavor.

Our Favorite Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup 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 also 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 (Portuguese Green 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 the addition of paprika and cream sort of 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 are going to 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!

Caldo Verde Ingredients

• 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

1. Sauté: Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté the veggies until soft.
2. 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.
3. 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 that 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, you can skip it and replace the sherry with more broth!

Get the Full (Printable) Portuguese Soup (Caldo Verde Recipe) Below. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is caldo verde?

Caldo verde means “green broth” and it is given it’s green color from leafy greens like kale or collard greens. This recipe is inspired by the traditional Portuguese soup called 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 just like it did the first day that 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.

If I want to double this recipe, do I double all the ingredients?

Yes! This is a great recipe to double and then freeze half of it for later. You can use our “Servings Slider” tool on the recipe card to help you determine how much of each ingredient you need for the amount that you want to make.

Can I make this without the sausage?

You can make Portuguese Bean Soup without the sausage, although without the sausage the soup loses its unique flavoring. You could use a vegan chorizo if you want to omit the sausage for dietary reasons.

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)