Caldo Verde with Beans
From Temescal Gardeners Open their Gates
Photo by David Wajsfelner
Caldo Verde with Beans
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
David Wajsfelner and his partner, Amie Gutierrez, are members of the Temescal Open Edible Gardens Day planning committee, and they say that opening their home garden for the 2025 event motivated them to create a more beautiful and thriving space. “It was a fun, inspirational energy that ran through our gardening season this year,” says Gutierrez.
Wajsfelner imagines he could grow everything in this family heirloom recipe in his garden—except possibly the sausage. “It’s essentially the recipe brought by my grandmother, Maria, and mother, Aldina, when they emigrated from Portugal. They used to make it for us every fall and winter,” he says. “Think of it as a hearty hug and a replacement for a chicken soup if you’re feeling under the weather.”
Note on beans: Canned beans are fine when you’re in a hurry, Wajsfelner says. He’ll choose cannellini or another variety he has on hand like butter or great northern. When he has the time, he’ll soak ½ pound dry beans in salted water overnight and cook them the next day with salt, cumin, and garlic until they are tender but still firm.
Ingredients
- 1-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
- 11 ounces spicy cured sausage (Portuguese linguiça or Spanish chorizo), cut into medallions
- 1 large sweet onion (yellow, white, or Vidalia), coarsely chopped
- 6-12 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold or russet), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- Salt and pepper
- 5-8 cups chicken broth, divided use
- 1-2 bunches collards, kale, or other bitter leafy greens, cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
- 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups cooked cannellini beans (See note on beans above.)
Instructions
Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons olive oil into the bottom of a Dutch oven and heat to medium. Add sausage and cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Remove sausage and set aside. Leave pot on heat (do not clean out) and add onion along with more olive oil as needed. Cook until onion is soft and starting to brown at the edges. Add garlic and cook another 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
Add potato chunks and sprinkle with salt. Toss and cook briefly. Add 5–6 cups chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the greens and simmer, covered, until potatoes and greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the canned or pre-cooked beans and the browned sausage along with more broth as needed. Simmer for another 5–10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.
If you want to thicken the texture, use an immersion blender and blend to desired thickness. If you use a countertop blender or food processor, blend in small batches and handle the hot soup with care.
Serve with crusty bread and a vinegar hot sauce, which can really brighten up the dish. I like adding a bit of ume plum vinegar.
- Category: Soups and stews
