Hearty Dinner Soups - Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde a long standing tradition in Portugal. Its their unofficial nation dish, and I've decided to re-create it for dinner. My version isn't authentic at all more inspired by, but delicious none the less.

INGREDIENTS:

large bunch of collard greens (kale will also do)

1/2 white cabbage 

1 large spanish onion (or 1 & 1/2 small)

8 cups of stalk (chicken, beef, or veg. - or water - I used 8cups veg stalk and 2cups water)

2 carrots

1 large sweet potato 

2 medium spicy beef sausages (chorizo is the best but any spicy sausage would work)

3 cloves of garlic (or more depending on your taste I used 4)

sprig of thyme (I used rosemary - its what I had, but thyme would be even better) 

1 cup Kamut 

2 bay leaves

bunch of parsley 

1 psp smoked paprika 

salt & pepper

olive oil 

Prep: Keep all ingredients separately until cooking. Halve onions, and cabbage and thinly slice. Separate the stems of the collard from the leaves. Chop the stems into little round bites, and roll up the leaves and thinly slice them horizontally to create ribbons. Chop carrots, and sweet potato onto small pieces - the same size at the stems of the chard, also cut sausage into bite size pieces. Roughly chop the garlic and the parsley. For the Kamut boil in water until tender (30-45 mins) and strain. Add to the soup at the end. 

Cooking: I roasted my potatoes with olive oil s&p and some paprika in the oven on 350 for a few minutes before adding them to the soup - I really like the flavor they get this way.  In a large pot heat 1tbs of olive oil add the carrots, and after 2 mins add the onion and garlic. After 1 min add the sausage. When they all start to brown add the collard stems, bay leaf more paprika and pepper. Now add your water/stalk and bring to a boil. Now add your sweet potato, cabbage and shredder collard leaves and continue to boil - once it starts bubbling lower the heat, and let it cook for 20-30 mins.  When ready taste for s&p and spices, you can also add extra chili flakes if desired, but watch out for too much salt. Allow soup to sit for 1 hour. Once its cooled off remove bay leaves, then  take 1/3 of the soup and blend it, or use an emerson blender for a second or two,  that gives it a really hearty consistency - don't over blend you still want chunky pieces. Add the kamut and chopped parsley. 

Soup will keep for 2-3 days. 

Serve with crusty bread a drizzle of olive oil and black smoked sea salt. 
PHOTO: Found