In summer, we tend to alternate between wanting chilled, incredibly light foods (we usually spend August subsisting on heirloom tomato, basil, and feta salads) and perversely craving substantial, hearty meals. It is in the latter spirit that we’ve been thinking a lot recently about caldo verde. This Portuguese kale and potato soup usually comes dressed with chorizo or another type of sausage. The dish is full-bodied, rich, and delectable. Though it’s incredibly comforting in the winter, the soup’s appeal does not diminish much in the warmer months. The secret? Although caldo verde is hot and hearty, it’s also not overly dense. All of the area’s caldo verde options seem to be limited to Inman Square. Below, three of the best caldo verde options.
•Good local kale can be difficult to obtain, so many area restaurant substitute collard greens instead. Not Casa Portugal Restaurant. Enjoy your soup in the restaurant’s super-pretty dining room.
•The caldo verde at Muqueca Restaurant comes loaded with not only the traditional collard greens, potato and sausage, but also bacon. Because what’s the most successful way to make any dish better? Bacon.
•At Portugalia Restaurante, the caldo verde is served slightly deconstructed: collard greens and linguica (a milder chorizo) atop a puree of potato.
Casa Portugal Restaurant [Official Site]
Muqueca Restaurant [Official Site]
Portugalia Restaurante [Official Site]
[Photo: Tudo Gostoso]
