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Thursday, November 18, 2010

¡¿Mi Caldo Verde está Rojo!?

{Dearest ________,}
I knew it the moment I saw the picture and said the name.  It seeped out of my head and into a whisper.  To no one but myself...I just needed to say it out loud.  Caldo Verde...in a soft, but confident whisper...escaped my lips.  Soon I would be standing over a fragrant pot of Caldo Verde.  My cupped hands would be warm around their steaming bowl of infused liquid...treating me to a heady, spice-perfumed facial.    It happened on a familiar visit at one of my regular haunts, Souper Sundays.  I was just there...taking in the soups, fantasizing over oxtails...when I spied it.  Wish you were here.  It was so seductive with its white creamy potato base peeking out from the dark green kale that surrounded it.  There were even a few pieces of golden-orange chorizo nestled on top.  I just know I got googly eyes.  As I'm wont to do, I began looking for a little history and some other examples  It's actually a classic Portuguese dish,  but was embraced by and became equally loved in Brazil.  See.  Fate.  This month our Regional Recipes destination is Brazil...and I had yet to figure out what to make.  Until then. 
The version that I made ended up being a good fusion of two recipes that were very different from each other, yet amazingly similar.  (The version that started it all, from The Taste Space and Nourished Kitchen's version).  I would have loved to have gotten my hands on some chouriço or linguiça, so as to make it more traditional, but alas I went with fresh chorizo instead...which did aid in my broth's red tint...that, and the chiles I decided to use.  I used waxy, not starchy potatoes and I didn't mash or break any of them up for body because I was more in the mood for a clear broth.  But I did not skimp on the kale.  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my over-affection for kale.  My body was just screaming for those dark, green leaves!  So I still had lots of green.  And an abundance of soul-warming flavor and depth.  You should definitely come over and warm up with a bowl of Caldo Verde.  Hope to see you soon!
{best wishes, Heather}
Caldo Verde
from the kitchen of girlichef
(inspired and adapted from The Taste Space & Nourished Kitchen...see links above)
yield: ~1 gallon...give or take

2 Tbs. olive oil
~1 lb. fresh chorizo
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced ¼" thick
5 garlic cloves, minced
~1 lb. small red potatoes, halved or quartered
1 bay leaf
2 pasilla chiles, stemmed & most seeds shaken out
~2 quarts rich chicken stock (+ more as needed)
HUGE bunch of kale, thicker, tougher portion of stem removed
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and the chorizo.  Cook until chorizo is cooked through and golden in some spots.  If the bottom of the pot seems dry, add another drizzle of olive oil.  Turn heat to medium-high, add onion, carrot, garlic, and potatoes, bay leaf, and chiles.  Stir around, coating the vegetables with the reddish-orange glisten from the chorizo.  After a few minutes, once the onions and garlic have begun to soften, pour in the chicken stock, scraping along the bottom of the pot to release that flavor-packed fond.  Bring to a boil, partially cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for ~20 minutes.

Slice the kale into fat ribbons, and then chop a bit.  Add kale to pot, put the lid on all the way, and turn off the heat.  Let it sit until the kale has wilted, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Season and adjust with sea salt and black pepper.  If you'd like, remove the bay leaf and whole chiles (the chiles will be soft and falling apart, so you could just stir to break them up a bit and leave them in).
It's good enough to write home about!

*This post is linked to:
RegionalRecipes SouperSundays


Would you like to comment?

  1. Well, it looks muy delicioso para mi!

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  2. Un caldito muy rico el que se ve aquí.

    Saludos

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  3. Yummm! Yo quiero! This looks like something I would love! :)

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  4. sorry, the chorizo is reserved for your olive garden sausage and peppers pasta.

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  5. Doesn't matter what color this turned out - looks delicious!

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  6. Mmmm, I'd love a bowl just about now - food to feed your soul, definitely.

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  7. It has chorizo in it...I will LOVE it!

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  8. Heather, the soup looks so good...the bowl you used really adds to the rustic feel. Great photos.

    Carmen

    p.s. I noticed your note on 'leave a comment'. It's a great 'beware' message. :)

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  9. I've always been a bit scared of kale...but it looks so beautiful in your lovely caldo verde I may just have the courage to try it again. What a gorgeous recipe - it looks and sounds so delicious!

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  10. I dont bother to finish that whole bowl of comforting soup rite now..very tempting..

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  11. Mmmmmm, muy bien! I'll have to give this one a try we love chorizo! I make a similar soup but Italiano style w the potatoes and kale, looove kale too!

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  12. I need a big bowl of this soup right now! Looks like you included all my favorites! Another, yummy dish by girlichef! xo

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  13. btw...I love your new blog badge! It will look very nice on my blog! I made my first badge...it's kinda big cause I'm widget/badge challenged...

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  14. delicioso! ok now that i've exhausted my fake spanish :) i'll just tell you this looks amazing!

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  15. Heather - I'm on my way for a steaming hot bowl. I've always wanted to make this soup (it has everything that I love). I can tell that this red version with the chorizo and extra kale was out of this world!

    Loved the post!

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  16. Now you've done it. I am fantasizing about this soup. And I will daydream and think about it until I finally make it. With peppers,kale and chorizo - yes - it will get made.

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  17. I'm a huge meat lover, and potatoes, too. But it's the kale that I'd be fishing out of this bowl to eat first. I was just talking with Alex the other day about how intuitive eaters all seem to crave greens. Seems like a deep long-held, in the cells/dna sort of knowledge, the craving for greens.

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  18. I love greens...by themselves or otherwise. (Kale is good, but my favorite is collards.) This soup is wonderful- so hearty and full of flavors. :)

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  19. I've really been craving those dark greens lately as well, which is weird for me! Love what you've done with this soup! Thanks so much for submitting it to RR!

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  20. I like it because it has chorizo bits. .looks comforting, downright good:)

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  21. Gorgeous soup--all the greens and potato soups we have had recently at Souper Sundays has made me drool. This one is especially drool-worthy. ;-) Thanks for sending it to SS this week--I am excited to have two soups from you! ;-)

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  22. mmmm, definitely something i could eat all day long! i love the rich flavors, and kale is so good in soups!

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  23. What a colorful soup. The chorizo has to had such a depth of flavor. I need you to teach me how to take food pictures. Yours are fantastic!

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  24. Heather, I'm with you. I've got to make this soup soon. I think my favorite part is those big chunks of potato. yum

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  25. You so need to invite me to dinner! I'm so cold and would love to get warm with this!

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  26. Soup season in all it's glory is really represented in this chorizo filled bowl of deliciousness. Love it. GREG

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  27. Hello, the soup looks yummy specially with the chilled weather even the pictures gives me a relief and soothes me... and as I read the ingredients its healthy too, try soon

    http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/

    Your newsest follower
    Love
    Farah

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  28. This is a pretty good version of Caldo Verde. Great recipe, tons of flavor. It tastes just like the soup you get at a Portuguese restaurant.

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  29. You really should consider doing some other kinds of writing- you seduce us with Spanish, words so gracefully placed on the page and with the photos...oh my I am 'I want it now' mood...

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  30. MmmmYum! This looks soo comforting for the cold wet weather we are having!:)

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  31. Heather,
    Because you have inspired me and continue to do so, I have passed on the Happy 101 Blog Award to you. I have it posted on my site if you would like to pass it on to others. Thank you for your inspiration!
    Miz Helen

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  32. Mmm, we are huge fans of kale too. Delicious! Definitely soul food.

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  33. Hi love,
    I woke up to cloudy skies and a forecast of cold rain. It would be a perfect day to make this soup! I love the spicy flavors and the inclusion of kale (the green stuff is just so good!) Thank you for sharing this with us. I hope you are having a relaxing Saturday!

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  34. Chorizo rocks my world and I have recently made the acquaintance of pasilla chilies, so I will love this recipe when I try it soon.

    Great post.

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  35. Delicioso!!!!!

    I think I'd write a letter, too if I had some of that. I'm actually glad that the weather calls for soup days. :)

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