Inspired by the classic Portuguese soup, my vegan caldo verde features tender potatoes, vibrant greens, and spicy vegan sausage in piping-hot broth. It’s super simple, incredibly comforting, and perfect for cold nights.
Soup is, by far, my favorite way to get my daily dose of greens. Seriously — put just about any kind of greens into a pot of soup and you’ve got my attention. I love my kale soup, chard soup, collard greens soup, and broccoli rabe soup. So when I first heard about a Portuguese soup called caldo verde, which literally translates to “green broth,” I was immediately intrigued. There was just one problem: caldo verde is traditionally made with sausage. But that’s never stopped me before. Time for some vegan caldo verde!
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Caldo verde is one of those soups that’s surprisingly simple, made with just a handful of ingredients, yet incredibly tasty and comforting. It’s the perfect meal for when you’re craving something cozy but don’t feel like putting in a ton of effort.
There are a few variations on how caldo verde is prepared, but the basic method is super straightforward. Potatoes are simmered in broth until tender, then half of them are mashed to create a naturally thick, creamy base. Thinly sliced greens are added next and cooked just until tender. Traditionally, caldo verde is made with a leafy green called couve galega, but since it’s hard to find here in the U.S., I use a mix of kale and collard greens instead. A splash of red wine vinegar and some spicy vegan sausage finish things off, creating a soup that’s satisfying and full of flavor. I have a feeling you’ll be making this one all winter long.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. You can substitute another neutral, high-heat oil if you'd like.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Potatoes. We're using yellow potatoes, such as Yukon gold. Red potatoes will also work well. Russets will do in a pinch, but aren't ideal — waxy potatoes will hold their shape better and give you a creamier broth when mashed.
- Greens. We're using a fifty-fifty blend of kale and collard greens, but feel free to use all kale or all collards if you prefer, or if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vegan sausage. Traditional caldo verde is made with Portuguese chouriço, which is a spicy, smoky sausage. So we're using spicy, smoky vegan sausage here! I like Field Roast Mexican chipotle, but there are a lot of options. If you're not into fake meat, leave it out and add some smoked paprika and optionally a little cayenne pepper to the soup for flavor.
- Red wine vinegar.
- Salt and pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the onion & garlic. Heat your oil in a pot, then add the onion. Cook it for a few minutes while stirring occasionally, to start softening it up. Add the garlic and cook it with the onion for another minute.
Step 2: Simmer the potatoes. Stir in the broth and potatoes, then turn up the heat and get the broth to a boil. Lower the heat and let the potatoes simmer in the broth until they're tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Step 3: Prepare the greens. Cut the thick stems from your kale and collards, then slice the leaves into thin strips.
Step 4: Mash potatoes. Take about half of the potatoes out of the pot, using a slotted spoon. Mash them up in a bowl.
Step 5: Simmer the greens. Stir your mashed potatoes back into the broth, then add your greens. Bring the liquid to a boil once again, then lower the heat and simmer the soup until the greens are tender.
Step 6: Cook the sausage. While the greens cook, slice your vegan sausage links and brown them in a skillet.
Tip: Cook the greens to your preferred level of tenderness. A quick five-minute simmer will give you bright green, slightly firm greens, while a longer (ten or fifteen-minute) simmer will make them very soft.
Step 7: Finish the soup. Stir the sausage into the soup, then add your red wine vinegar. Taste-test and decide if it needs more salt and some black pepper.
Step 8: Serve. Your vegan caldo verde is ready to enjoy! Ladle it into bowls and dig in while it's hot!
Variations
- Creamy broth. Some caldo verde recipes call for mashing all of the potatoes. Feel free to do this if you'd like an ultra-creamy broth.
- Extra chunky. On the other hand, you could also skip mashing the potatoes if you prefer your soup extra chunky.
- Spice it up. Season your caldo verde with some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste if you'd like it extra spicy.
- Add some beans. Throw in a can of beans, such as chickpeas or kidney beans to make the soup extra hearty. This variation works particularly great if you're skipping the vegan sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be! Make sure your vegan sausage is gluten-free, and you're good to go. Beyond makes gluten-free vegan sausages.
Not necessarily! Traditional caldo verde is made with peeled potatoes, and I prefer to peel mine so I don't end up with bits of peel in the mash, but feel free to leave the peels in place if you prefer.
Most of the sodium comes from the broth and vegan sausage. Use a reduced-sodium vegetable broth, and either skip or reduce the amount of vegan sausage.
Leftover vegan caldo verde will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, but the texture of the potatoes may change a bit.
More Global-Inspired Vegan Soups
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Caldo Verde
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes, peeled and diced (½- to 1-inch pieces)
- 8 ounces curly kale
- 8 ounces collard greens
- 2 spicy vegan sausage links (Notes 1 and 2), thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook it for about a minute longer, until very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and potatoes. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- While the soup simmers, remove the stems from your kale and collards, then slice the leaves very thinly.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove about half of the potatoes from the soup, placing them into a heatproof bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes until creamy.
- Return the mashed potatoes to the pot, stirring until they're well incorporated, then add the kale and collard greens to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the soup back to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for at least 5 minutes, or until the greens have reached your desired level of tenderness.
- While the greens simmer, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced sausage links. Cook the sausage slices for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're browned and a bit crisp.
- Stir the sausage into the soup, then add the red wine vinegar and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
- I used Field Roast Mexican chipotle sausage. Vegan chorizo would also work well, although most brands are sold as crumbles rather than links — this is totally fine.
- If you'd rather omit the sausage, try adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch (or more) of cayenne pepper.
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