The Ultimate Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup

Are you searching for a soup that’s more than just a light starter—a soup that is a hearty, soul-warming, and complete meal in a single bowl? What if you could capture the rustic, comforting flavors of Portugal with one simple, straightforward recipe? This Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup is the answer you’ve been looking for.

This soup is a celebration of rustic simplicity and robust flavors. It’s packed with smoky sausage, nutrient-rich kale, tender potatoes, and hearty beans, all simmered in a savory broth. Forget delicate broths; this is a satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that will warm you from the inside out.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: A Hearty Taste of Portugal

This recipe is beloved for its incredible depth of flavor that comes from just a handful of simple, powerful ingredients. It’s reminiscent of the famous Portuguese Caldo Verde, but our version is even heartier, with the welcome addition of diced tomatoes and chickpeas. It’s a one-pot wonder that is perfect for a chilly evening, a weeknight family dinner, or a cozy weekend lunch.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	40 minutes
Active Prep Time	15 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy / Beginner
Servings	4-6

The Essential Ingredients for This Rustic Soup

The soul of this soup lies in its authentic, high-quality ingredients. Each one plays a vital role in building the final, unforgettable flavor.

• Portuguese Chourico: This is the heart and soul of the soup. Unlike Spanish chorizo, Portuguese chourico is a smoked sausage seasoned heavily with garlic, paprika, and often a touch of wine. It infuses the entire soup with a deep, smoky, and mildly spicy flavor.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: We use this to start our soup, providing a fruity, peppery base to soften the vegetables.
• Waxy Potatoes (like Yukon Golds): We specifically choose waxy potatoes for a crucial reason. They have a lower starch content, which means they hold their shape beautifully when simmered, providing tender, satisfying bites rather than dissolving into the broth.
• Onions and Garlic: This essential aromatic duo builds the savory foundation of our soup, adding layers of sweet and pungent flavor.
• Kale: This hardy, nutrient-packed green adds a wonderful, slightly earthy flavor and a pleasant chewiness. It stands up perfectly to the simmering broth, becoming tender without turning mushy.
• Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas): A can of chickpeas adds a delightful creaminess, extra texture, and a boost of plant-based protein, making the soup even more substantial.
• Diced Tomatoes: These add a touch of bright acidity and sweetness, which perfectly balances the richness of the chourico.
• Bay Leaves: These dried leaves impart a subtle, almost minty and peppery background note that you might not pinpoint directly, but you would surely miss if it were gone.
• Chicken Broth: This forms the savory liquid base of our soup, tying all the other flavors together.
• Warm, Crusty Bread: This is not merely a suggestion; it is an essential part of the experience! You need a good, hearty bread for sopping up every last, delicious drop of the broth.

Step-by-Step Instructions for a Perfect Pot of Soup

Follow these simple steps for a guaranteed delicious result. This one-pot meal is designed for ease and comfort.

Step 1: Build the Aromatic Base First, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced potatoes and chopped onions.

Cover the pot and let the vegetables cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir them occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure they cook evenly. This step softens the vegetables and begins to build the first layer of flavor.

Step 2: Add Aromatics and Wilt the Kale Next, add the chopped garlic and the bay leaves to the pot. Stir them in and cook for about one minute until the garlic is fragrant.

Now, add the coarsely chopped kale to the pot. It might seem like a lot, but it will cook down significantly. Place the cover back on the pot and allow the steam to wilt the kale, which should take about 2 minutes.

Pro Tip: To prep your kale, hold the stem with one hand and strip the leaves off with the other. Discard the tough stems and then coarsely chop the leaves. This ensures you don’t have any woody bits in your soup.

Step 3: Combine and Simmer to Perfection Once the kale has wilted, season everything generously with coarse salt and black pepper. Now it’s time to add the rest of the ingredients.

Add the drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, the can of diced tomatoes (with their juice), the diced chourico, and the entire quart of chicken broth to the pot. Stir everything together well to combine.

Bring the soup up to a full boil over high heat. Once it is boiling, immediately reduce the heat back to medium. Let the soup simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes. The soup is ready when the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork.

A Cook’s Note on Authenticity: In some Portuguese-American communities, like in Mystic, Connecticut, you might hear chourico referred to as “cherise.” It’s a fun, phonetic quirk that speaks to the deep roots of this culinary tradition!

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Serving Your Hearty Soup

This Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup is a rustic meal that calls for a simple, hearty presentation. Before serving, be sure to remove and discard the bay leaves.

Ladle the hot soup generously into deep, warm bowls, making sure each serving gets a good mixture of broth, chourico, potatoes, and kale. The absolute best way to serve this soup is with large hunks of warm, crusty bread and good-quality butter on the side. Encourage everyone to dip, dunk, and sop up the broth.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This soup is a fantastic candidate for making ahead, as the flavors continue to meld and deepen overnight.

• Storage: Allow any leftover soup to cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: This soup freezes wonderfully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it gently in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is warmed through.

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Creative Recipe Variations

While the classic recipe is fantastic, feel free to make it your own. Here are a few variations to try.

1. More Traditional “Caldo Verde” Style For a soup closer to the iconic Portuguese Caldo Verde, omit the tomatoes and chickpeas. After the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to briefly pulse the soup a few times (or transfer a cup of potatoes and broth to a blender and return it to the pot). This will slightly thicken the broth. Then, stir in very thinly sliced kale and chourico and simmer for 5 more minutes.

2. Make it Spicy If you enjoy more heat, this soup can take it. Use a spicy or “hot” variety of chourico. Alternatively, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the pot at the same time you add the garlic.

3. Use Different Beans or Greens Don’t have chickpeas or kale on hand? No problem. This recipe is very forgiving. You can easily substitute the chickpeas with cannellini beans or kidney beans. Instead of kale, try using Swiss chard or collard greens.

Enjoy a True Taste of Comfort!

You have just created a pot of pure comfort. This Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup is a hug in a bowl, packed with bold flavors and satisfying textures. It is a tribute to the beauty of rustic, home-style cooking where simple ingredients are transformed into something truly special.

We hope this hearty soup becomes a beloved staple in your home, bringing warmth and nourishment to your table.

If you loved making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with friends and family who appreciate a good, soulful soup!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)