We made Caldo Verde  for lunch today.

Caldo verde or green broth is the most popular soup in Portugal. It has its origins in the Minho region in the North of Portugal, but today Caldo Verde is considered by many to be Portugal’s national soup.There are many versions of it but the basic ingredients are potatoes, shredded green cabbage, chorizo or linguiça sausage and olive oil.

We used kale for our version of the soup. Onions, garlic and chorizo were gently fried in olive oil and diced potatoes, seasoning, bay leaves and stock were added. The cooked potatoes were mashed in to the broth, blanched kale was added and the soup allowed to simmer for a couple of minutes. It was drizzled with smoked paprika mixed with olive oil and was eaten with toasted sourdough bread.

White wines pair best with Caldo Verde, especially Loureiro and Alavarinho from the Minho. Anselmo Mendes and Soalheiro from Monção are two excellent producers of Vinho Verde. Arinto with its citrus and tropical fruit also goes well with Caldo Verde.

With or without wine, Caldo Verde is a great winter warmer.