Caldo Verde (Portugese cabbage soup)

Cabbage soup doesn't need to be boring. Spice it up with smoky chorizo and comforting potatoes.

• Sweat the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent.
  
• Chop the chorizo into small chunks and add to the onion.
• Sweat the onions and chorizo for a few more minutes and then add the diced potatoes. They will absorb all the flavour from the chorizo.
• Transfer the mixture to a large pan, add the stock, seasoning and bay leaves, and cook until the potatoes are soft.
• Meanwhile, very finely chop the greens/cabbage
• When the potatoes are ready, mash them into the broth to make a thick base. Blanch the greens/cabbage in boiling water for one minute to take off any bitterness, drain, then add to the simmering broth.
• Add as much greens/cabbage as the broth will support - if you want heavy soup add loads of greens, if lighter, add less.
• Simmer for a few minutes. The soup will go the colour of jade.
• Mix the smoked paprika with some olive oil to make a dressing, and swirl this red magic into the vibrant green soup.
• Serve with some heavy country bread

I have used a whole head of savoy cabbage, finely shredded 

https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/caldo-verde-portuguese-cabbage-soup

Serves: 4
Prep time: less than 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-60 minutes

• 2 nice fat onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 60ml /2fl oz olive oil
• 1 chorizo sausage
• 6 large potatoes
• 1.5 litres /2 pints/13fl oz good vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• large bunch of greens or cabbage
• smoked paprika and olive oil, for dressing