Caldo Verde

Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor
Andrea is the Associate Food Editor at The Kitchn. She is a lifelong Chef and full-time clog enthusiast. Her passions include grabbing more books at the library than she can read in the time allotted and the relentless pursuit of the perfect burrito. She lives in Salem, MA with…read more
published Jan 12, 2025
An overhead view of a bowl of caldo verde soup with a spoon
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

It's only six ingredients, but you'd never know it.

Serves4 to 6

Makes8 cups

Prep15 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
A ladle full of caldo verde in a dutch oven pot
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

Caldo verde is so, so good. It’s exactly the kind of deceptively simple dish that surprises you with the deep, rich flavor it draws out of a few simple ingredients. “Caldo verde” means “green soup,” the color coming from a healthy dose of leafy greens. This hearty one-pot soup is the unofficial national soup of Portugal, eaten throughout every region of the country including the Azores, but with origins in the northern part of the country. Like most soup recipes beloved by home cooks (like classic chicken noodle soup, black bean soup, or lentil soup), everyone makes it a little differently. This version opts for kale, linguiça, and chicken broth, although traditionally the soup is made with only water.

It’s a hearty, hug of a dish that’s simple to prepare and cooks relatively quickly for a soup, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. This soup has been in heavy rotation in my kitchen every winter for over a decade — ever since I was taught a friend’s family recipe. She grew up making the soup with whole sausages, which were then fished out of the broth and sliced before serving. Over the years I’ve changed the method up a little bit, opting to brown sliced sausage to start the soup to draw out the maximum amount of flavor. The leftovers are even better than the fresh-from-the-pot soup, as the flavors have had ample time to meld, elevating this dish to even higher levels. Give it a try — it just might be your next favorite too.

Why You’ll Love It

  • It’s made with a few, relatively inexpensive ingredients. But it’s more than the sum of its parts. Caldo verde is a hearty and filling meal full of sausage, greens, and tender potatoes.
  • It comes together in under an hour. This soup comes together in a flash, but has the deep flavor of something that’s been simmered on the stove for hours, drawing flavor from aromatics like onions and garlic, and more complex flavors from spiced linguiça sausage.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

Key Ingredients in Caldo Verde

  • Linguiça sausage. Look for cooked sausage, not fresh. While linguiça is traditional, you can also substitute Spanish chorizo, if you’re having trouble sourcing it.
  • Kale. I developed this recipe with flat-leaf kale, but you can swap in curly kale or collard greens, if desired.
  • Yukon gold potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape after simmering in the hot soup, but also become tender enough to smash into the broth for a creamier texture.
  • Chicken broth. Opt for low-sodium chicken broth here. You can swap in vegetable broth, if desired.
  • Onion and garlic. These alliums are the backbone of the soup’s deep, comforting flavor.

How to Make Caldo Verde

  1. Brown the sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook slices of linguiça in a large pot or Dutch oven until browned, then transfer to a plate. Add chopped onion and sliced garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant.
  2. Simmer the soup. Add broth, potatoes, water, and kale. Simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Smash the potatoes. Use a wooden spoon to smash about half (or all!) of the potatoes into small pieces to thicken the broth. Add the sausage back to the pot and continue to cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Helpful Swaps

  • You can swap green curly kale or collard greens for flat-leaf kale. 
  • You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.

What to Serve with Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde Recipe

It's only six ingredients, but you'd never know it.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

Makes 8 cups

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon

    olive oil

  • About 12 ounces

    smoked chorizo or smoked linguiça sausage, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

  • 1

    large yellow onion, diced (about 2 1/4 cups)

  • 6 cloves

    garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound

    Yukon gold potatoes (about 5 medium or 3 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

  • 1 (32-ounce) carton

    low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)

  • 2 cups

    water

  • 1 large bunch

    flat-leaf kale (about 8 ounces), stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)

Instructions

Show Images
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add 12 ounces sliced sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate.

  2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 diced large yellow onion to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 6 sliced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Stir in 1 pound peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes, 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 bunch coarsely chopped kale leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

  4. Use the potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to smash about half of the potatoes against the side of the pot and bottom of the pot into small pieces. (If you’d like a thicker broth, smash all of the potatoes.) Return the sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more for the flavors to meld.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.