Winter officially comes to an end on Sunday, March 20^th. Why not make the best of what remains with a hot bowl of soup?

I’m talking about homemade, not canned soup. While not quite as easy as opening a can, homemade is simple to make. It’s a versatile one-dish meal, where you can throw in whatever needs to be eaten from the fridge. Remember the Stone Soup story?

Since soup freezes well, I like to cook a big pot and freeze half for a busy day. Or leave in the fridge and eat later in the week.

This great tasting soup, served with bread or crackers, has everything you need for a complete immune-boosting meal.

Caldo Verde (Portugal style soup with potatoes, greens and sausage)

Serves 6 to 8

¼ cup olive oil

12 ounces Spanish-style chorizo sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces (use chicken if you want it leaner)

1 onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if you like a little heat)

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” inch pieces

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

1 pound collard (or other cooking) greens, stemmed and cut into 1/2” pieces

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook several minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Set sausage aside.
2. Add onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper and pepper flakes. Stir frequently until onion is transparent.
3. Add broth and water, stirring to combine flavors. Pour half of the broth into a pot large enough to simmer the greens. Increase heat to high to bring to a boil. Add the potatoes to one pot and the greens in another. Reduce to a simmer and cook potatoes and greens until tender, 8 – 10 minutes.
4. Take out 2 cups of the potato soup and place in a blender. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and blend until it is smooth.
5. Add the greens to the potato pot. Add chorizo and simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the pureed mixture and tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Taste to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.