Thursday, June 19, 2008

A SPICY POTATO AND KALE SOUP

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Caldo Verde-- smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton) is a tasty garnish!

We've had company this week, and some unseasonably chilly weather, so soups have been on my table quite frequently. The following is one of our favorites (I made the Portuguese version this time)!

Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S CALDO GALLEGO (SPANISH KALE AND POTATO SOUP-- WITH PORTUGUESE CALDO VERDE VERSION)
Serves 6-8

Kale and potatoes are made for eachother, as you’ll see when you try this wonderful soup. In Spain (and also Portugal, where it’s called Caldo Verde), this soup contains a spicy (but very fatty) sausage called chorizo, which is seasoned with garlic, dry red wine, chile, paprika, and cumin. I add these seasonings to the soup itself instead. Cubes of turnip are another characteristic Spanish touch.

NOTE: Don’t worry about the amount of garlic in this soup— it mellows out considerably during cooking.

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 T. dark sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and minced (or about 10 cloves from a jar, minced, or about 2-4 T. minced from a jar)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp. dried red chile flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper (you may not need this if you use spicy Field Roast Chipotle vegan sausage-- see below)
6 c. vegan broth (see this post)
10-12 oz. kale, washed, trimmed and chopped (you could also use turnip greens or collards)
2 medium red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed (unpeeled) and thinly sliced
1 medium turnip, peeled and cubed in 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 c. (or a 15 oz. can) cooked white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained
1/4 c. dry red wine OR 1 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: sliced spicy vegan sausages (Field Roast Chipotle would be my choice, or a mixture of Chipotle and Italian)

In a heavy soup pot, heat the oils over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for several minutes, or until the onion softens. Add a little water as needed to keep from sticking.

NOTE: You can also cook the onion and garlic with the oils in a microwave oven (place in a microwave-safe covered casserole, or Pyrex pie dish with another one on top for a lid) for about 10 minutes. This works well if you are doing a bunch of things at once, because you don't need to stir!


Add the bay leaf, paprika, cumin and chile flakes and stir for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes,or until everything is tender. Taste for salt and pepper.

THE PORTUGUESE VERSION, CALDO VERDE:

Omit the turnip and use 4 potatoes instead. Use the sausage option and omit the beans. Use only 1/2 lb. kale.

Enjoy!

9 comments:

Rio said...

Ohhh noooooo, here I was all excited about it and now it looks like we Canadians can forget about this!

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

rzaugg-- don't give up yet! If this works out as I hope it will, and you don't have a friend or relative in the States, maybe, if there is enough interest, we can persuade L'Epicerie to change their mailing policy, or a Canadian company to carry it. To buy it in bulk requires a big initial expense, evidently, so the company would have to be willing to take that on.

Anonymous said...

I am convinced I would love your soup. I wish I could find kale here :(
When I'm lucky, I can find it in Quebec City...

Interesting that Versawhip!
I'm sure it will keep you occupied :)

harlemgrrl said...

the soup looks fab. u. lous.

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

Gaia, you could substitute chard, collard greens, turnip greens, gai lan, etc. for the kale. It is good!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bryanna!
I can find chard more easily when it's in season :)
Can't wait to try the soup in any case.

Can we blanch/freeze kale?
Because if it was possible, I would buy a lots when I find it in Quebec...

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

Yes, you certainly can, Gaia! Do you have any garden space? I ask because it is easy to grow-- even we grow it and we are not gardeners! And it is cold-hardy, too. Your provincial ag department, or a university ag department should have some info on the season there.

Anonymous said...

Can...not...wait for that final recipe. Thanks for working on it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have a garden! I should look that up... even though I have a lot of trouble with growing greens. I can't understand why, I have tried several differents ways/techniques and they won't grow. Spinach in particular. Very disappointing.

Thank you, Bryanna!