CALDO VERDE (PORTUGUESE KALE SOUP)

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale Soup) image

Provided by Maggie May Schill

Time 6h30m

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 8 inch linguica links
2 8 inch chourico links
4 Tbsp light cooking oil
5 c beef broth
4 clove garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, minced
7 c fresh kale, chopped and rinsed
3 c dried navy beans
5 c potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 c warm water
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp marjoram, dried
3 bayleaves, whole
3/4 tsp paprika, sweet mild
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. 1-In a small sauce pan bring your navy beans to a boil in 6 cups of water. Once it hits a boil, let sit off of heat in the water for 1 hour. 2-Drain from water and set navy beans aside. 3-In a large dutch oven or cooking pot, add light oil and heat through on medium high. 4-Once oil is at smoking temperature add linguica and chourico. Brown them on all sides with the pan covered. 5-Once sausages are browned completely, remove from heat and de-glaze your pan with the drippings left behind from the sausages. Set sausages aside. 6-Add your garlic and onions to the pan. Cook with pan covered. 7-Once garlic and onion are translucent, add in your broth. 8-Add bay leafs to broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil and add your navy beans. Bring back to simmer for 1 hour. 9-Add salt, pepper, marjoram, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Continue to simmer for another half hour. 10-Add warm water. 11-Add kale to your broth and simmer for 2 hours. 12-Slice your sausages up into half inch pieces. Add them to the soup. 13-Add potatoes to the soup. Continue to simmer until potatoes are tender and kale is wilted completely. This could take another 1 or 2 hours. 14-Lower heat and let soup sit on low for about an hour before serving. (Letting it come down from simmer slow like this before serving really brings all the flavors out and lets them develop nice.)