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A clay bowl of hot caldo verde topped with slices of chouriço.
Soups

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Greens Soup with Chouriço)

Leonor Perreira · Updated Nov 5, 2026
Prep
15 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4
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Caldo verde is the best-known soup in Portugal: a simple, smooth broth of potato, onion and garlic, with very fine strips of couve-galega cooked in it for just a few minutes. It’s served with slices of chouriço, a drizzle of raw olive oil and a slice of cornbread.

It comes from the Minho, in the north, where couve-galega grows in almost every vegetable garden. Today it’s eaten all over the country, and it’s a fixture at the June street festivals (Santos Populares), at weddings and at the late supper at the end of a party, served in clay bowls.

Tips

Don’t overcook the greens: 2 to 3 minutes with the lid off keeps them soft and bright green.

Blend the base until it’s completely smooth before the greens go in. If it’s thick, add hot water a little at a time.

Serve it right away. The greens lose their color as the soup sits.

Recipe

Caldo Verde

Portugal's best-known soup: a smooth potato and onion broth with fine strips of couve-galega and slices of chouriço, finished with olive oil. Simple and comforting, and served at festivals and family tables alike.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1
    Put the water, the peeled and cut potatoes, the quartered onion, the garlic and a small drizzle of olive oil in a large pot. Add the half chouriço whole, so it cooks with the vegetables and gives the broth its smoky flavor.
  2. 2
    Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.
  3. 3
    Lift out the chouriço and set it aside.
  4. 4
    Blend the soup with a stick blender until completely smooth. If it's too thick, add a little more hot water.
  5. 5
    Season with coarse salt to taste and add half of the remaining olive oil. Bring the soup back to a boil.
  7. 6
    Wash the shredded greens well and drain them.
  8. 7
    When the soup is at a rolling boil, add the greens. Boil them uncovered for just 2 to 3 minutes, so they keep their bright green color.
  9. 8
    Slice the chouriço you set aside into very thin rounds.
  10. 9
    To serve, put a few slices of chouriço in each bowl, ladle the boiling soup over them and finish with a good drizzle of raw olive oil. Serve with slices of cornbread.
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Making it ahead

Make the potato base the day before and keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready, bring it back to a boil and only then add the greens. The base also freezes well for up to three months; add the greens after thawing.

For a vegetarian version, leave out the chouriço and add more olive oil at the end.

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