Give Potato And Sausage Soup Triple The Flavor With This Colorful Transformation

Potatoes and sausages are a classic soup combination that's hearty, comforting, and lends itself to all kinds of variations. These two core ingredients are affordable staples made for filling you up, and the sausage with its meaty, salty, and sometimes spicy flavor is the perfect counterpoint to mild potatoes, whether they are made into a thick, creamy soup or added along with the sausage to a thinner broth. And if you peruse our list of 40 unique types of soups, you'll see there is a third element that pairs well with both ingredients: greens. The combination is embodied in a simple Portuguese variation called caldo verde.

While potatoes and sausage are still the most filling components, the name of the soup is inspired by the green hue it gets from the addition of leafy greens — term caldo verde means "green broth," or "green soup." In Portugal, the traditional choice is Galician collard greens, but as these are not commonly available in the U.S., collard greens or kale can be suitable alternatives. Beyond that, it is a very simple recipe that often uses water instead of broth, and gets its flavor from simmering greens, onions, and garlic. Besides color, the greens lend the dish an earthy flavor that complements the potatoes and balances out the flavor-packed sausage. The texture can vary. While some versions stick with a light broth, others are thickened by cooking the potatoes until they start to break down or even pureeing them a bit.

Caldo verde comes together in half an hour, because it only calls for simmering potatoes and greens and adding cooked sausage at the end. It can be simmered for longer if you like to draw more flavor and aromatics, but this easy preparation is what makes it such a staple. It also means it's a great base for customization.

The traditional sausages used in caldo verde are Iberian smoked sausages like chouriço (not the same as Mexico chorizo) and linguiça, which are hard pork sausages with a strong garlic flavor that can also be heavily spiced. Unlike the chorizo most Americans know, these sausages are usually smoked, so they can be sliced, browned, and immediately added to the soup. Don't let tradition stop you from using different types of sausages. Mexican chorizo, kielbasa, or hot Italian sausage can all work great.

As for other additions, you don't want to distract from the basic flavors too much, but there are nice ways to shift the soup in other directions. A drizzle of olive oil can add more richness and depth, and chopped fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro can deliver freshness to this hearty soup. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice, lemon zest, dash of vinegar, or your favorite hot pepper flakes if you need to wake up the flavors. With caldo verde, it's easy to keep things simple and still squeeze in a lot of flavor.