Let´s start talking about food……

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)

In this very first post about food I would like to introduce you to the Portuguese kitchen, well known for being very pure and simple but oh so tasty  !

The ingredients are simple and the spices are mostly limited to sea salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, coriander and not to forget the famous piri-piri, but this does not make the dishes less tasty, on the contrary, because of the simplicity all flavours come together.

Here in the south of Portugal you will often see Moorish influences in the dishes with some spices which have been brought here from distant colonies. We are blessed with an abundance of delicious fresh fish and shellfish, citrus fruits, figs, pomegranates, almonds, vegetables…. too many to mention. Over time I hope to share many beautiful dishes with these ingredients with you.

Let’s start with the most famous soup in Portugal, the “Caldo Verde” directly translated as green soup. This is my  favourite soup!

Caldo Verde is made with the Portuguese cabbage “Couve Gallega” – Portuguese Kale – but can also be made with savoy cabbage or green cabbage. The secret of a good Caldo Verde is to cut the leaves as finely as possible. The original recipe does not contain zucchini and leek but I think this is a tasty combination.

Ingredients : for 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100gr onion in small cubes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 100 gr leeks
• 300gr of potatoes
• 1 zucchini
• teaspoon of salt
• 1.2 ltr. water
• 200 gr. corn bread (croutons is also possible)
• 50 gr. chouriço
• 200 gr of cabbage or Kale
• Coriander (optional)

Chop the onion into small cubes, peel, crush and thinly slice the garlic,cut the leek in thin slices. Fry the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and after a few minutes add the leek. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and wash the zucchini, cut both in small cubes, sprinkle with the salt and cook for about 15 minutes in water until the vegetables are soft. In a food processor, grind the corn bread and chouriço adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil halfway through until you have big crumbs. Combine the vegetables and the cooking water with the onion/leek mixture in the food processor. Pour the soup back into a saucepan, adding the very finely chopped cabbage and let it boil for another 10 minutes. Serve the soup in a bowl with the mixture of corn bread and chouriço and a little coriander (optional).

Enjoy !!

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)