My mom is a saver of things, and this is usually something I might complain about, but in this case it's a good thing. The inspiration for this recipe comes from the Caldo Verde recipe in the Diamond Jubilee cookbook circa 1973. My grandfather, Fernando, was associated with the S.P.R.S.I., and the ladies of the organization created the book as a fundraiser. It's chock full of all sorts of good classic American and Portuguese (a lot of them Azorean) recipes. It is obvious that these ladies were all sorts of awesome, with “recipes for kindness” and “household hints” included in their offerings. I would be thrilled to sit at any one of their 1970's tables. They may not have known that kale was a “super-food”, but they knew it was good stuff. And so, we bring their recipe to the here and now, and of course, update it just a little bit.
This soup is a staple at our house, and in the appropriate season, sees the table almost once a week. This is the first time (after many years!) that onion was added to the recipe and it was definitely a nice addition, but it is also great without any. The original version calls for linguiça, choriço or any seasoned and smoked sausage, but I've ALWAYS used soyrizo. We've tried a few different brands and the Trader Joe's one is both tasty and priced very well. We really like the flavor and appreciate the lack of limp nodes and salivary glands, like in the traditional beef varieties. Sometimes fake is good.
Ingredients:
1 good sized bunch of kale. Our favorite is dino.
1/2 package of soyrizo (or 4oz of linguiça or other sausage)
3 medium-sized potatoes (about 1lb) peeled and sliced to 1/4 inch rounds
6 cups (or a wee bit more) good water
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil (you can use less, of course)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 medium onion, sliced finely
Serves 4-6
Wash the kale under cold running water. With a sharp knife cut along the stem on both sides and discard it.This takes a little bit of time, but it's worth it. Bunch the trimmed leaves together and cut them into the smallest strips possible. Set aside.
Sauteé the onion (if using) in a small amount of olive oil for a few minutes and then add the soyrizo. I use my magic pan (thanks, Aunt Wendy!) for this, which is medium sized. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until onion is translucent and soyrizo begins to crisp. Remove from heat.
Combine the potatoes, water and salt in a good sized saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes when tested, can easily be mashed against the side of the pan. Use a slotted spoon, and transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash them to a smooth puree.
Pour the cooking liquid from the potatoes into the pan you cooked the soyrizo and onion in. Return the mashed potatoes to the liquid (now in the soyrizo pan) and combine, stir in the olive oil and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. You could add a litte more salt here if desired but this all depends on the saltiness of your soyrizo/sausage, so be careful. Add the kale and boil uncovered for about 7 minutes. Serve immediately accompanied by just about anything: grilled cheese, crusty french bread, broa or cornbread… it all works.
The nights selection:
To go with this warming and slightly spicy soup we chose the smooth red blend by Bear Flag. This soup is reliably delicious and so is this wine. It’s a lovely blend of several varietals including Touriga, Tempranillo and Alicante Bouschet. In addition to tasting yummy, the bottle is a looker! Do yourself a favor and bring some home.
Our sounds for the night were provided by The Slip, and their 2002 album “Angels Come on Time”. This Indie-Rock, Jazzy-Folk trio from Boston provide some peppy fun with a side of sweet melodies. They have helped us cook many a meal, check em out.
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