Ruth O’Donnell’s Portuguese Kale Soup

My husband is from New Bedford, Massachusetts and is Portuguese. His sister showed me how to make Kale soup, but I revised the recipe to our liking. I make it with all of the leftovers of a boiled dinner made with a smoked shoulder ham, including the broth. There is cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions and orange turnip in my boiled dinner. My hubby takes most of the meat off the bone and I soak kidney beans in the broth for an hour or so. I chop up a whole bunch of fresh kale (if if can’t get fresh kale, frozen will do, or collard greens works well, too). Then I boil the beans & kale with the bone until the beans are almost soft. I then chop up all of the leftover vegetable into bite-sized chunks and add them to the pot. Then I add about half of a link of linquica and one piece of chourico, which is another kind of sausage that the Portuguese people eat. Lastly, I add some of the meat from the smoked shoulder and when it’s almost boiling, I shut it off and let it set until it’s just the right temperature for eating. We serve the soup with some Portuguese bread.

I had to chime in because of two reasons: First, this conversation has been going on for years. That tells you how much folks LOVE this soup. Second, I’m Portuguese. I’ve grown up on this soup. It’s Wonderful!! And healthy if you can go organic, even better. BUT . . . Never substitute Linguisa or Chourica with other kinds of sausage. If you do, don’t call it Portuguese Kale Soup. That’s a MUST! Always be certain that pork bone is the stock. Make sure you add a splash of Portuguese wine (perhaps Mateus) to the simmering stage. My grandmother used a little spice bag that included a tablespoon of whole cloves. The spice bag was removed once the soup was finished. Don’t overcook the Kale. NEVER ADD CANNED anything to genuine Kale soup. But if you like that you can, just don’t call it Portuguese Kale Soup. Call it . . . ?? “Campbell’s Kale Surprise.”

I am from a very Portuguese family and I learned to make Kale Soup from my mother years ago. My cousin sent me this recipe and I was surprised to see how wonderful it is. It is the best I have ever made. This is the one I will be making from now on. Thanks for sharing.

Have been making this soup for the past 50 yrs according to the way my Ptown mother in law taught me (ex was a Ptown fisherman) . It has a million versions as in Comments. However, it always has either kale or spinach and linguica. Where did Chloe go to look for linguica in San Francisco? I have lived here for at least 40 yrs and have always been able to buy it. We now have custom fresh versions at any Sprouts store, cured versions are manufactured for the table in San Jose. There are thousands of Portuguese dairy farmers and ordinary descendants here, so let’s drop the issue. I regularly attend the Borda Leite festas in Petaluma and have also lived in the North Bay. Further, this soup is very special and has a special taste from the home cooked beans. I also saute my onions and potatoes together in olive oil first, then add beans and stock and cook until beans are done. No tomatoes. I use the sausage sparingly due to its high salt and fat content (normally about half a large sausage). Much as I love linguica, it is terribly high in fat, about 85 grams a serving with about 30 grams of salt. You can find it with less fat and salt here and that is what I usually buy, although the fresh version from Sprouts does seem quite healthy.

The Spanish make a version of this soup called Caldo Gallego that my dad taught me to make. We use Chorizzo, salt pork and white beans and it’s an “all afternoon cook” but SO worth the effort. Here is my recipe:
Galician Sausage and Kale Soup (aka Caldo Gallegos)

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Soups And Stews

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chorizo — sliced 1/4″ thick
1 medium onion — chopped
8 cloves garlic — minced
10 ounces dried Calypso or other white bean (like cannellini)
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 black peppercorns
2 clove
6 ounces salt pork cut in 1/3″ cubes (I like to use a ham bone or hock instead)
2 quarts hot water
2 cups diced potatoes — cut in 1/2″ cubes
2 cups chopped kale (can use collard greens if you have to do so)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place olive oil in large heavy soup pot over moderate heat. Add
chorizo and cook for about 2 minutes. Take it out with a slotted spoon
and save.

2. Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook for about 7 minutes or
until the onion starts to brown. Add beans, herbs, spices, salt pork or
ham bone, and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and
simmer covered for about 1 1/2-2 hours. Check the pot occasionally and
stir, skimming off any foam that accumulates on the top.

3. Add the potatoes and reserved chorizo. Cook for another hour, partially covered.
Add kale and cook for another hour, uncovered, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes.
(By now, the soup should be quite thick) Season with salt and pepper to taste.