Caldo Verde

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Caldo Verde

Caldo verde is otherwise known as Portuguese green soup, or broth, and whilst you can simply cook it as a soup, I tend to make more of a meal out of it and give it centre stage.  Its perfect for autumn or winter as it is satisfyingly hearty and filling. I deviate slightly from the traditional recipe of onion, garlic, cavolo nero/kale and potatoes by also adding 240g (basically one tin) of butter beans and spicy chorizo. It’s satistfyingly easy to make and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. If you are passionate, as I am, about stews and soups then this one will really appeal to you. I particularly like to add spicy chorizo to give it that extra kick, but if you cannot find the spicy variety you can simply use normal chorizo and add a sprinkling of paprika on the top before serving.

Caldo Verde

Serves 6-8

400g of spicy chorizo, chopped into slices

700g potatoes, peeled and diced

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic, chopped

200g cavolo nero/kale/greens, thinly chopped

1-2 pints chicken stock (depending on how thick you want the soup)

240g butter beans

3 bay leaves

4 tbs olive oil

pepper and salt, to taste

paprika, pinch on each serving (optional)

1. Place the olive oil in a deep pan – I use my Le Creuset casserole pot – and when it is hot add the chopped onion, on a low heat for 5 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and stir into the onions.

2.  When the onions have become translucent add the spicy chorizo, which will begin to create a lovely red hue to the onions as the spicy chorizo begins to mix with the onions. Stir for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the diced potato, butter beans (tinned variety) and bay leaves and thoroughly mix into the onion, garlic and chorizo. Add 1 pint of chicken stock and let the soup simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, by which time the potatoes should be soft.

4. Add the finely chopped greens. I use cavolo nero, which is black kale, but any type of greens works equally well. You may find you need to add some more stock at this stage, depending on how soupy you like your soup.

5. Season with pepper and salt to taste.

Serve piping hot with crusty bread on the side.

Caldo Verde

Florentine Lemongrass soup

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Spinach is one of those super foods that you can literally feel the goodness seeping into your body with every mouthful. When Catherine de Medici became Queen of France in 1533, she was so taken by spinach that she insisted it be served at every meal. Dishes that are cooked with spinach are known as ‘Florentine’, after Catherine’s place of birth – Florence. Hence the name I have given this delicious soup.

I know I tend to say this a lot in my blogs, but this really is super easy and takes no time at all – so perfect for a light lunch or for a starter when guests are coming over. You can prepare it in advance, freeing you up to have proper conversation without the worry of having to prepare the starter. Have you ever tried making souffles for a starter? Well believe me, the results are delicious, but it does involve a lot of care and attention and time away from your guests to get it right.

You can absolutely use fresh spinach here, but I often tend to use frozen as I always have bags of it in the freezer. This soup is versatile in that it tastes equally good in the summer or winter.

Florentine Lemongrass Soup

Serves 4-6

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

2 tsp of lemongrass paste (I use Barts)

1kg of spinach, frozen or fresh

2 pints/40 fl oz vegetable stock

400ml tin of coconut milk

juice of 2 limes

single cream to garnish, if desired

salt and pepper

1. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and then fry the onions gently until they begin to become transparent – this should not take more than six minutes. Then add the garlic and chillies continuing to stir for a few minutes.

2. Add the vegetable stock and lemongrass paste and gently simmer for five minutes. Then add the frozen or fresh spinach and cover until they have completely wilted/defrosted. Once this has happened use a hand blender to blend the soup thoroughly.

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3. Add the coconut milk and lime juice and blend once again. Season to taste and garnish with single cream if desired.

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King Prawn Noodle Broth – effortless joy in a bowl

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Do you ever feel too exhausted to cook in the evenings but want a fresh, healthy, comforting dish that you can prepare in lightening speed with very little effort? I think all of us do from time to time, I certainly did this evening. So I put together this wonderfully flavoursome broth in less than 10 minutes. I feel it cleanses the body and heightens ones senses. It’s definitely my kind of dish.

King Prawn Noodle Broth – Serves 2

190g  Jumbo king prawns (or any prawns will do)

1 bag/ 200g of udon noodles (double the amount if you are feeling hungry)

1 tamarind broth cube (Knorr make them)

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

6 thin slices of fresh ginger

half a red chilli, finely sliced

1 lime

1 spring onion, finely sliced

1/2 tsp of lemongrass paste

2 tsp of light soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp of coriander, chopped

1. Thinly slice the garlic, ginger, red chilli and spring onion. Heat the sesame oil in a pan, and when it is hot, add the chopped ingredients and the lemongrass paste, and cook gently for a couple of minutes.

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2. Meanwhile put 600ml of boiling water in a pan on a low heat and break up the tamarind broth cube into the water. Then add the prawns and watch them reduce in size slightly – this will only take a couple of minutes – be careful not to over cook them!

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3. Place the contents of the pan with the garlic, ginger, chilli, lemongrass and spring onion into the broth along with the udon noodles. Whilst I use udon noodles any type of noodles will work equally well. Experiment and see which you prefer. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes and during this time add the soy sauce and the juice from half a lime.

4. Serve piping hot with chopped coriander on the top with a lime quarter on the side.

If you are feeling under the weather or want a general ‘pick me up’ this warming broth is sure to reinvigorate you. Instead of prawns you could use chicken or for a vegetarian option: broccoli, sugar snap peas, mange tout or pak choi.