Market Cauldron · Green Soup

Caldo Verde

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Portuguese markets sell couve galega already shredded into fine ribbons, often cut on the spot by vendors with hand-cranked slicing machines.

Caldo verde is a simple soup of pureed potato and onion broth threaded with ribbon-thin strips of collard greens (couve galega) and a slice of smoky chouriço, finished with a drizzle of olive oil. At festas and market stalls it's ladled hot from huge pots into paper cups, often alongside a piece of cornbread.

Why it's made this way: Born in the northern Minho region as a way to make a filling meal from little more than cabbage and potatoes, caldo verde became Portugal's unofficial national dish and the standard warm-you-up food at street festivals nationwide.