Portuguese caldo verde with cannellini beans

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
¾ pounds Garlic sausage such as linguica; or kielbasa
¼ cup Olive oil
1 large Sweet Spanish onion; coarsely chopped, (about 1 1/2 C.)
2 Cloves garlic; finely minced, (2 tsps.)
4 mediums Potatoes; (about 1 1/2 Ibs.), peeled, cut into chunks and placed in a bowl of cold water **
8 cups Chicken Stock; preferably homemade
12 cups Trimmed and coarsely shredded collard greens; kale or Portuguese cabbage
2 cups Cooked dried cannellini beans; ( about 1 cup dry uncooked)
¾ teaspoon Salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

from The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean On a vacation trip through northern Portugal, we became addicted to this hearty peasant soup, so much so that we bought some Portuguese cabbage seeds* to grow in our garden, giving us a steady supply of leaves solely for this soup. Collard greens or kale are two green, leafy vegetables that approximate the flavor of Portuguese cabbage.

Pierce the sausage, cover with water in a saucepan a bring to a boil Then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to remove excess fat. Drain, discard the water, slice the sausage into ¾-inch slices and reserve.

In a 7-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and stir, sauteeing for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and add the potatoes, stirring, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Crush the potatoes lightly in the pot using a potato masher. Add the shredded greens and simmer for 15 minutes more. Add the cooked beans and reserved sausage and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot. The soup can be prepared a day or 2 in advance. Like most hearty soups or stews, the flavors intensify with time

* Portuguese cabbage seeds are available through Le Jardin du Gourmet, Danville, VT 05873.

** Baking potatoes should not be used. They disintegrate too easily rather than retaining their shape when lightly crushed.

Posted to KitMailbox Digest by Cairn Rodrigues <cairnann@...> on Feb 16, 1998

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