Minho Caldo Verde and Broa de Milho

This month's recipe is for Caldo Verde. This potato-based green soup vies with Bacalhau (salted cod) for the title of Portugal’s national dish. Originating in the northern Minho region but enjoyed throughout the country, it is simple to prepare and made from readily available ingredients. Broa, a traditional corn-and-rye bread, is the customary accompaniment to this classic Portuguese comfort food.

Caldo Verde

Enabled by their large fleet of sailing ships, Portugal created one of the largest and longest surviving empires the world has ever seen. beginning with the capture of the small territory of Ceuta in Northwest Africa and finally coming to an end in 1999 when they turned over Macau to China. The time when Portugal began colonizing territories throughout the world is often charitably called the "Age of Discovery," but it was more accurately the "Age of Conquest." Even today Portugal is one of the least diverse places in the world (which contrasts greatly with several of its former colonies). However, Portuguese cuisine has been greatly shaped by cross-cultural currents both from former colonies and from France, Spain, and Northern Africa. Not only that, but dishes that originated in Portugal can now be found throughout former colonies.

One of these is Caldo Verde (trans: "green broth"). It appeared first in the region of Minho in northern Portugal sometime in the middle of the 15th century. In Portugal, the soup is popularly served at weddings, birthdays, assorted holidays such as New Year's and events such as the St. John's Festivals in the cities of Braga and Porto. However, Caldo Verde can be and is eaten on any day; it's a staple dish. In Portugal, it is often eaten with a corn/rye bread called Broa de Milho. The dish is mentioned in many books by Camilo Castelo Branco, Portugal's most prolific novelist. In Brazil it is often served during the winter festival, Festa Junina (June Festival).

In Portugal, the greens used for the soup is called couve galega (Galician cabbage, Portuguese Kale, Portuguese cabbage, walking-stick kale). It is a loose-leafed variety of brassica closely related to collard greens and kale, and is especially associated with northern Portugal and neighboring Galicia. What makes the plant somewhat unusual (for a cabbage) is the way it grows. Unlike typical cabbages, which form compact heads near the ground, couve galega grows on a tall, upright stalk that can become almost tree-like, sometimes reaching over six feet in height, which is why it is sometimes referred to as "walking-stick kale". As the plant matures, the lower leaves are harvested continuously while new leaves keep forming at the top. This gives the plant the appearance of a small palm or miniature tree with a tuft of leaves at the crown.

Traditionally, the leaves are sliced into extraordinarily thin ribbons — finer than is common with most soups — which is one of the defining characteristics of authentic Caldo Verde. The texture is meant to be delicate rather than coarse.

As couve galega is not readily available in the US, flat-leaf kale or collard greens can be substituted, but couve galega has thinner, softer, and slightly less bitter leaves. We used collard greens when we prepared the soup.

Grilled sausages are a common offering in Portuguese tabernas, typically served sliced and eaten with toothpicks or skewers. At one riverside eatery in Porto, we were served a plate of sausages along with an assador de chouriço (“chouriço roaster”), which allowed us to roast the pieces of sausage right at our table. Ideally, (or perhaps, most commonly) chouriço (in Spain, chorizo) or milder linguiça (smoked Portuguese sausage) is added to Caldo Verde. Chouriço is a fermented, cured, smoked sausage that is either eaten cooked or "raw" (but, again, it is fermented and smoked). Mexican Chorizo is entirely different and not used in this dish. Portuguese chouriço and Spanish chorizo are dark red in color due to the addition of copious amounts of dried and smoked red peppers (pimentón/pimentão). However, salt pork, other types of smoked sausage or bacon can be substituted. Or you can completely eliminate any meat, substitute vegetable stock, and have a delicious vegetarian soup.

Another choice to make is deciding which kind of potatoes to use. As a recent trip to the farmers’ market in Barcelos showed us, there are quite a number of potato varieties in Portugal to choose from. Our recommendation for this dish is either Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes.

Cook's Notes:

The easiest way to slice collard greens is to cut away the central rib of each leaf, resulting in two long pieces. Roll each piece up lengthwise (starting from the end, not the side), then slice the roll very thinly.

Cornmeal is much easier to find than corn flour. Use either fine or medium cornmeal if you can't obtain corn flour. Don't use cornstarch; it won't work at all.

Broa is rather dense because no sugar is added to encourage additional yeast growth. Instead, the yeast reacts to the natural sugars in the cornmeal, so the bread rises only slightly.

When making broa, begin by bringing the water to a boil and "shocking" the corn flour or cornmeal with the hot water.

Caldo Verde Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cups finely shredded flat-leaf kale, collards, or couve galega
6 to 8 ounces Portuguese chouriço or linguiça, sliced into rounds
Extra olive oil, for serving

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened.
Add the garlic and cook briefly, just until fragrant.
Add the potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
Use an immersion blender (or other device) to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. Add more broth or water if it is too thick.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Add the finely shredded greens and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until tender but still bright green.
Meanwhile, lightly brown the sliced chouriço or linguiça in a small pan.
Serve the soup hot, topped with sausage slices and a drizzle of olive oil.

Broa Ingredients

4 cups water
4 cups corn flour, fine or medium cornmeal
2 1/2 cup rye flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

Boil 4 cups of water
Put the corn flour/meal in a bowl and then mix in the boiling water.
Let the corn meal soak for 30 minutes.
After 20 minutes of the corn meal soaking, dissolve the yeast in warm water (100-110°F).
After 30 minutes, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix using a stand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon. Add additional water as needed until the dough is sticky and moist, but not overly wet.
Cover the bowl and let it proof for 1 hour.
15 minutes before the hour is up, pre-heat your oven to 400°F.
Shape the risen dough into a round loaf and place in the pre-heated oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or so; deep cracks will form in the top.
The broa is finished when the crust is deep golden brown and feels firm. If you tap the top or bottom with a knuckle, it should sound somewhat hollow. The loaf should also feel noticeably lighter and firmer than before baking.
Let the bread cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.