Caldo Verde (Portuguese Cabbage Soup) #SoupSwappers

Here we are at the final Soup Saturday Swappers event of 2020. Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm started this event and, every month, I get a new array of soup recipes to put in my to-try pile.

This month, Sue of Palatable Pastime is hosting as we explore cabbage soups. She urged us to "Create a soup or stew using any type of cabbage and post with us on reveal day. All types of cabbage can be used: green, white, red, purple, savoy, napa, bok choy, choy sum, etc. You may also use fermented cabbages such as sauerkraut and/or kimchi if you so choose as your cabbage ingredient."

Here's the line-up of cabbage soup recipes from the #SoupSwappers...

• Cabbage Roll Soup by Making Miracles
• Caldo Verde (Portuguese Cabbage Soup) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chicken and Rice Soup with Cabbage by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cream of Cabbage Soup by Pandemonium Noshery
• Oil & Gluten Free, Vegan Cabbage Soup by Sneha's Recipe
• Stuffed Cabbage Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tofu and Bok Choy Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Vegan Curried Cabbage Soup by Magical Ingredients

Other Cabbage Soups

I use cabbage in a lot of different soups. One of our family favorite is Kimchi Dubu Jigae (Kimchi-Tofu Stew) that includes both fresh cabbage and fermented cabbage; but I have already shared that with this group back in March of 2018. Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup also makes an appearance on our table regularly during the Autumn and Winter. And my version of Soupe aux Cailloux (Stone Soup) for a Savoie event for The French Winophiles was tasty! But, for this event, I decided to go with a riff on a Portuguese cabbage soup.

Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup made with potatoes, greens, sliced chouriço or linguiça (smoked Portuguese sausage), and olive oil. Since Jake is plant-based for most of the week, I decided to add in beans and veggies which makes this more of hybrid soup: Caldo Verde meets Sopa de Legumes Portuguesa.

Ingredients makes 8 servings

• olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
• 4 cups potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup cubed zucchini
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used yellow and red)
• 1-1/2 cups green beans, trimmed to 1" lengths
• 4 cups chopped green cabbage
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 to 2 cups water, as needed
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• freshly ground salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• cooked beans for garnish (traditional is garbanzo beans, but I used some heirloom Yellow Eye beans)
• Also needed: large soup pot (I used a Dutch oven), blender or food processor

Procedure

Heat the oil in a large soup pot (or Dutch oven) and sauté the onion, celery, and garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent and softened. Stir in the potatoes. Turn to coat with the oil in the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes before adding in the butternut squash, zucchini, and bell peppers.

Pour in the stock. The vegetables should be covered by at least an inch of liquid, if not, add in water.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until all of the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove two ladles full of the vegetables and set aside. In batches, pulse the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and add in the reserved vegetables. 

Fold in the cabbage and green beans. Stir in the smoked paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the cabbage is softened, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle cooked beans into individual bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the beans. Serve hot and enjoy!

That's a wrap for the 2020 series of Saturday Soup Swappers. We'll be back in the new year with Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories leading the discussion of favorite childhood soups. Stay tuned...