Charlene kicked start the South Arm Community Kitchen for 2009 with two recipes. Also, Charlene is working with Family Services to start up a few more seniors kitchen which had been a roaring success last year. We wish her the best in her new role.
Back to food … the first dish which Charlene demonstrated is called Portuguese Kale and Chorizo Soup. Kale is a very nutritious vegetable which is not common among Chinese. I had blogged about Kale’s nutritional values in this blog.
This is a hearty soup complete with protein, carbohydrate and fiber all in a pot. It is great for cold winter days.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes, peel & thinly slice
- 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 lb Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage), cut into 1 cm cubes
- 3/4 lb kale
Click on Read More for the instructions. Instructions
 Wash the kale. Strip the leaves from the stem and discard the stem. Pile a few leaves together and thinly slice. |
 In a large non-tick frying pan, pan fry the Chorizo cubes over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towels lined plate to drain the fats. |
 Cook the onion in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until golden brown. |
 Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. |
 Add water or chicken broth (or a mixture of both) and season with salt to taste and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes in the pot. This helps to thicken the soup. |
 Stir in the chorizo and kale and simmer until the greens are tender, about 5 minutes.
This recipe is adapted from Gourmet and it serves 6. |
I always like putting greens in my soup and this one looks delicious.
Suanne, excellent, re the pictorial representations and the clear instructions as to the various stages of the cooking process.
Caldo verde is one of my favourite soups! A great winter soup — can be made with local ingredients, and kale is so good for you — high marks for this soup all around. Thanks for sharing.
I like the potatoes more broken up — it gives the soup a thick and creamy consistency, without cream! (Great of those with lactose intolerance.)
See this picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Caldo_verde.jpg
Many versions of this soup include a can of white kidney beans, added at the very last, just to warm up.
Pingback: Healthy Rice and Spinach Croquettes |