Caldo Verde
(Portuguese Potato Kale Soup)

Caldo verde, literally “green soup,” is a robust, incredibly
satisfying concoction of kale, garlic and smoky meats in a silky
puréed potato soup base. Served with a loaf of Portuguese bread, it
makes a meal. Linguiça is a Portuguese garlic sausage that can be
found in many supermarkets and Latin American markets.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 leek, white and light green part, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 celery stalk, diced (about 1/4 cup)
5 cups chicken broth
4 russet potatoes, peeled, cut in sixths
1 smoked ham hock
1/4 pound fresh kale (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 ounces linguiça sausage, diced (about 1/2 link)
1/2 bay leaf
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek, onion and
celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4
to 6 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes and ham hock. Bring to simmer and cook until
all are very tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Use a
paring knife to cut the tough stems away from the kale leaves. Blanch
the kale in the boiling water until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain
the kale, run it under cold water to stop the cooking and drain again.
Slice the kale into thin shreds.

Remove the ham hock from the soup base. Purée the soup base and return
to a simmer.

When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the ham hock and
dice. Add the ham hock meat, sliced kale, sausage and bay leaf to the
soup base. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer 15 to 20
minutes longer. Serve in heated bowls.