Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato Soup with Kale and Sausage)

Peel 500 g potatoes and cut them into 3 cm chunks so they cook evenly.

Roughly dice 120 g onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, and keep the aromatics ready because they will go into the pot in quick sequence.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat until it shimmers.

Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic for only 1 minute so it smells fragrant without browning.

Add the potatoes, 1200 ml water, and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring the pot to a boil over high heat.

Lower to a gentle simmer and cook 20 to 25 minutes, until a potato piece collapses easily under a fork.

Reduce the heat briefly and blend the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.

Keep the blade fully under the liquid to prevent splashing, blend until velvety, and simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes if it looks too thin.

Remove the stems from 150 g kale and slice the leaves into very thin ribbons.

Cut 180 g smoked sausage into 0.5 cm rounds, add both to the soup, and simmer gently for only 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat when the kale is bright green with a slight bite.

Check that the sausage saltiness is evenly distributed through the broth and serve the soup thick.