Portuguese Kale Soup. Sopa de Couves.

The weather in Nor Cal has been fierce! Rainstorms and winds as high as 54MPH has made me want to stay home and eat warm meals. I decided to make my mom's soup for dinner.

Sopa de Couves or kale soup. This is a staple in Portugal and every island (and mainland) has their own version of it. Some use beans, some use pasta but they are are similar. The one I will be making is as close to my mom's version except for no beans in it. My mom would trick us by mashing the white beans into the soup so that us kids would eat it. Sorry mom. Even at a young age, I had a good palate and could detect it. lol Now I like beans but decided to make it with none.

I apologize for the missing step by step photos. I was talking to my mom while making the soup. This is a very easy recipe and kale is very high in fiber so it's very good for you too!

Ingredients

2 Portuguese Chorizo (or linguica if you can't find some), sliced

1 large bunch of kale, chopped

1 1/2 cups of cabbage, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 large russet potatoes, chopped (or  5-6 baby gold potatoes but I prefer waxy potatoes)

6 cups of water

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Heat on medium high a stockpot and add about 3 turns of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and saute them until they are translucent.

Once the onions are done, add the 6 cups of water and let the water go into a full boil. Now add the chopped potatoes, kale and cabbage. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Now add the sausage and let the juices from the Chorizo flavor the broth.

***Now I was raised with smoked Chorizo and not with what I can buy at grocery stores here. I notice they either are full of fat and oil (eww) or bland. My dad used to own a butcher shop/market and we would make and smoke our sausages. Makes a ton of difference when you carefully use the right spices. One day, I will find the perfect Portuguese sausage or just order them online. lol  My mom would actually cook the sausage and some meat and use the flavored water as the base for her soup. Gives a lot more flavor to the soup. ***

Now season the soup with salt and pepper. Depending on the Chorizo, you may need 1-2 tbsp of salt or if bland, 3 tbsp.

Serve this with warm rolls where you can soak up the broth. Perfect for cold or rainy days.

Bon Appetit!