This Caldo Gallego is just an amazingly delicious rustic comforting soup. Made with hard chorizo, ham steak, bacon, northern beans, onions, potatoes, serrano pepper, fresh garlic, napa cabbage and kale in a savory chicken broth. Just amazing!
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Caldo Gallego
“Caldo Gallego,” or Galician Broth, is just simply a delicious soup. By far this is one of my favorite soups! It is a highly nutritional, rustic and a comforting soup. Especially on a cold winters day. However don’t assume it must be -13° outside to make it! This soup can be made as a starter to any meal or as the meal itself in any season. It’s hearty enough to fill our belly’s, just add some crusty bread.
This soup originated in Galicia, Spain. Although other countries have their own variation of “caldo gallego.” True Galicians get quite offended when anyone says they are making caldo gallego the “galician way” and don’t use the true traditional ingredients that are required. And why shouldn’t they? They have created a true exquisite soup fusion!
I will say this, even for those of you that are not enthusiastic about soups, you may change your mind after having this one! 🙂
I love how the fat from the three meats (bacon, chorizo and ham) used here just melt into the chicken stock and come together so perfectly. Oh, so, so good!
I also love how all the vegetables taste in this soup. The kale and napa cabbage are just wonderful.
One thing for my mexican caldo de gallego, I used Portugese Chorizo (Gaspar’s brand) because my local supermarket didn’t have the “hard” mexican chorizo this week. They only had mexican ground chorizo which wouldn’t work for this soup recipe. You must use the sausage looking chorizo. You have to be able to slice it. So know if you run into this problem, you can use a different kind, just as long as it is the hard kind of sausage chorizo.
Now this is my mexican version…hope you like it. I just love it!
- 1 lb ham steak or cooking ham cut into half inch cubes
- 1/4 lb bacon half a pack (cut into inch slices)
- 3.5 lb hard chorizo (I used Portugese chorizo) cut in half and sliced
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 bunch napa cabbage cut into 2 inch slices
- 1 bunch kale stems discarded and coarsely chopped
- 1 serrano pepper finely chopped
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 quart water
- 1 can northern beans drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado sliced
In a large pot, add bacon, ham and chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Then add sliced onion and cook until translucent. About 2 minutes or so.
Add serrano pepper and garlic and cook for a minute.
Add chicken stock, water and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and lower the hit to a simmer. Cover pot and cook for 2 hours.
Remove the end root part of the napa cabbage. Slice down the middle and chop.
Chop kale to you reach the stems. Discard stems.
- Cube potatoes.
After two hours taste soup and add salt to taste, add the potatoes and beans. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Add napa cabbage and cook for 15 minutes. Finally add kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so.
Soup is done! Yummy!
- Serve in bowls and garnish with avocado slices (optional).
For more delicious soups, click here. Here is an example of what you will find..
Sopa de Camarones (Shrimp Soup)
Have you ever had Caldo de Gallego soup?
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