Mediterranean · lunch, dinner
Caldo Verde: Portuguese Potato and Greens Soup
Video by HealthNut Nutrition on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegan
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
A thrifty Portuguese family soup thickened only with blended potato, so it is creamy without cream: low in fat, with fibre and potassium from the potatoes and vitamin C and vitamin K from the shredded greens.
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Ingredients 8
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Peel and quarter the potatoes, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Put them all in a large pot, cover with the water and bring to the boil. 1:38
- Boil for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely soft. 3:04
- Meanwhile, cut the stems off the collard greens, stack and roll the leaves, and slice them as thinly as you can into fine ribbons. Leave them in a bowl of cold water. 3:10
- Blend the potatoes into their cooking water with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. 4:30
- Drain the greens and stir them into the soup with the salt, pepper and olive oil. Simmer a few minutes until the greens are just tender, then serve hot. 4:53
Tip. Serves about 8 (our estimate). The traditional garnish is a few slices of chouriço; leave it out (as here) or use just a little per bowl. Kale or cavolo nero work instead of collards. Keeps 4 days in the fridge.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 8
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 77%
- Protein 13%
- Fat 10%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 92% of the 39 g of net carbs come from the potatoes. To cut carbs, try cauliflower, celeriac or turnip instead.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K High106%
127 µg a serve, mostly from collard greens (96%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin C High64%
57 mg a serve, mostly from collard greens (65%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B6 High41%
0.7 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (83%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Potassium High26%
1210 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (85%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Folate Source19%
77 µg a serve, mostly from potatoes (70%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Magnesium Source17%
70 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (76%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Iron Source15%
2.6 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (80%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Show the other 8
Zinc9%
1 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (76%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin A8%
75 µg a serve, mostly from collard greens (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Calcium6%
82 mg a serve, mostly from collard greens (57%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Omega-36%
0.1 g a serve, mostly from collard greens (64%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin E4%
0.5 mg a serve, mostly from olive oil (46%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Selenium2%
1.2 µg a serve, mostly from potatoes (61%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin B120%
0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by HealthNut Nutrition; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.