Portuguese Potato Soup Recipes

PORTUGUESE POTATO DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• Wash the potatoes and place in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water and 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain.
• Peel potatoes while they are still warm. (Not too hot, or you might burn your hands.) Place the peeled potatoes in a ricer over a small bowl and push through. Alternatively, using the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, mash the potatoes through the holes in a colander into a bowl set below it. You can mash the potatoes by hand, but the dumplings won't be as fluffy.
• Add the ham, Parmesan, beaten eggs, butter, nutmeg, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt to the mashed potatoes. Mix well to combine.
• Line a small baking sheet with paper towels, and place the flour in a small mixing bowl.
• Roll the potato mixture into little balls, about 2 rounded teaspoonfuls each. Toss each dumpling in the flour, shake off the excess flour and place on the prepared baking sheet. Set aside.
• In a 6-quart soup pot or stockpot, combine the beef broth, chicken broth, water, onion, carrots, parsley and cilantro. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the potato dumplings to the skillet, leaving enough room to turn them. Brown the dumplings on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes, until golden, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Continue to brown the remaining dumplings, using 2 tablespoons of the oil for each batch.
• Heat the beef-chicken stock over medium-high heat until simmering, Using a ladle, carefully place the dumplings into the simmering stock. Simmer dumplings for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately since the dumplings are fragile.

CALDO VERDE (PORTUGUESE GREEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Start by cutting the collard greens. Just stack three leaves at a time and roll them like cigars. Cut them crosswise into very thin strips. Proceed with the rest of the leaves until all the collard greens are done. Reserve.
• In a heavy bottomed pot, add the peeled potatoes, the quartered onion, the minced cloves of garlic, the olive oil and the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to medium low and cook until the potatoes are tender and ready to be mashed (about 20 min).
• Mash the potatoes and bring them back to the pot.
• Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches.
• Add the collard greens, stir, and keep cooking for 15 more minutes.
• In a large skillet, fry the bacon and the sausage until the bacon is browned.
• Add the bacon/sausage mixture to the soup and cook until the soup boils again.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve hot with extra olive oil.

PORTUGUESE POTATO AND GARLIC SOUP (SOPA DE ALHO COM BATATAS)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat butter and saute garlic until soft, not browned.
• In a bowl, dissolve the vegetable broth in the boiling water; add to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, add milk and potatoes and stir well. Increase heat and bring to boil.
• Remove from heat and add the cream, stirring gently. Add salt if necessary.

PORTUGUESE KALE AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown sausage, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoon oil to fat in pot and cook onion and garlic with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add potatoes, water, and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Mash some potatoes into soup to thicken, then add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.

PORTUGUESE POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Add oil to soup pot and saute onion over low heat, stirring, until tender.
• Add vegetables, except the finely chopped green beans and cabbage, and saute for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
• Add salt to taste and water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring and checking water level, for about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Puree soup and add the finely chopped green beans and the cabbage.
• Simmer another 5 to 10 minutes and serve hot.

PORTUGUESE KALE AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a kettle cook the garlic, the onions, and the carrot in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Add the russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the broth, and 4 cups water, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, in a skillet cook the chorizo over moderate heat, stirring, until it is browned lightly and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. With the slotted spoon transfer the cooked potatoes to a blender, add about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and purée the mixture until it is smooth. Stir the purée into the broth mixture, add the chorizo, the kale, the red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer the soup, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

PORTUGUESE POTATO AND CILANTRO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in 3 Tablespoons of oil for 5 minutes, until limp, then add the last Tablespoon of oil and the potatoes and stir-fry for a minute.
• Add the stock, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are mushy.
• Remove from heat and puree.
• Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and cayenne, and stir in the chopped cilantro.
• You can serve the soup cold--or reheat by slowly bringing it to a simmer.
• Ladle into soup plates and top with a sprinkling of cilantro or chives.