Caldo Verde

Ingredients

• 600g floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 200g couve galega, cavolo nero or kale, stems removed
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 150g chourico or linguica, in one piece
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
• 1.3 litres water
• Salt
• Black pepper

Before you cook

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough quarters.
• Strip the tough stems out of the greens and stack the leaves into a tight cigar.
• Slice the rolled leaves as finely as you possibly can, aiming for threads no thicker than 2mm.
• Rinse the shredded greens in cold water and shake them dry in a colander.

Steps

1. Put the potatoes, onion, garlic and the whole piece of chourico into a large pot.
2. Pour in the water and add a teaspoon of salt.
3. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart.
4. Lift the chourico out with tongs and set it on a board to cool.
5. Add half the olive oil to the pot.
6. Blend the potato and broth to a completely smooth, thin puree using a stick blender.
7. Taste and adjust the salt now, because the greens will not add any.
8. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil over high heat.
9. Tip in the shredded greens all at once and stir them under the surface.
10. Boil uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes only, until the greens are tender but still bright green.
11. Turn off the heat immediately so the colour holds.
12. Slice the cooled chourico into thin coins and drop them into the soup.
13. Ladle into bowls and finish each one with a spiral of raw olive oil and a grind of black pepper.