My grandparents were born in Portugal so I have always made Portuguese soup based on generations of recipes from my grandmother, mother, and aunts. Today is the first time I'm making this soup in my Portuguese kitchen!
Although I do shop in actual grocery stores and at the small mercado in my Portuguese neighborhood, the larger stores are not very close by to where we live, so I tend to do most food shopping online right now and then have the items delivered. Since I’m still having some trouble finding the correct names for the products I want, (this is where Deepl comes in handy), it’s still hit or miss as to what I might find or get, since some items I order might not be available or there may be a replacement I’m unfamiliar with.
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To be sure that I got at least one package of Chouriço, I ordered two different kinds (don’t ask me why I chose these two brands - as I said, I’m still trying to figure out how to order from the grocery store). As luck would have it this time, I did get both!
For those unfamiliar with Portuguese sausage, Chouriço is the most popular one used for making soups such as caldo verde. Another popular Portuguese sausage is Linguiça, which is slightly thinner than Chouriço. In the U.S., Linguiça is less spicier than Chouriço. To learn more about the different types of Portuguese sausages, this resource provides more detail.
When I opened the packages of Chouriço, I realized that the sausage I had used in the U.S. paled in comparison! This authentic sausage was so aromatic and fresh! I couldn’t wait to get started on my soup!
Other ingredients in my soup included beef broth, onion, kale, carrots, potato, red kidney beans, garlic, salt and pepper, and herb seasonings.
I recently purchased a slow cooker (a/k/a Crock Pot) with a European plug, so I used it to simmer the soup for 6 hours.
The result was an aromatic, hearty Portuguese soup! Can’t wait to enjoy it with some fresh bread and a bottle of red wine!
Do you have a favorite Portuguese soup recipe? Leave a comment and tell me about it!
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Until next time…
Obrigada!
Carol.