Caldo Gallego

Hi Friends!!!

Where have you been???? You ask...I ask the same!!

I feel soooo sorry for those of you that get seasonal allergies! I NEVER get them... or should I say, I never got them.

Well, let me tell you, for the past month I have had the worse case of allergies! I don't know if it was the pollen or the mold spores in my yard because Spring was so wet here, but I have been having the worse dry cough ever! I have not been able to sleep without coughing. I have been sleeping on the couch downstairs because I didn't want to keep Sal awake with my coughing. Have been taking allergy pills but it would still go on. Because of this, I have been barely cooking, never mind taking pictures.

I am now fine, sleeping in my bed and barely coughing. Thank you for your patience in waiting for my posts!!

Enough about me!

Tonight I made Caldo Gallego and I want to share this recipe with you. Caldo Gallego is a very hearty soup from Galicia Spain. My grandparents were from Spain and this soup was made often at my house by my grandmother, Avita and my mother.

It is a very simple soup made with white beans, collard greens, chorizo, potatoes and ham. It is a meal in itself. Here it is:

1 lb bag of dry White Beans

1 large bunch Collard Greens

2 bags Goya Chorizo ( 2 Chorizos in each bag)

8 or so, 1” cubes ham

8 or 9 medium size Russet Potatoes

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 Tbs Salt

Wash and sort beans. Place in pressure cooker with 8 cups of cold water. Once pressure cooker comes to full pressure, lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure come down so that you can open pressure cooker.

Meanwhile, cut collard greens into small pieces. Place in large soup pan and fill with water, emptying and filling several times till greens are clean. Leave in pan and fill with 8 cups water and 4 tbs salt. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

While that is going on, peel potatoes and cut in small pieces. Slice Chorizo into slices about 1/2” thick.

Open pressure cooker when pressure is off and pour beans, liquid and all into pan with collards. Add the potatoes, chorizo, ham and olive oil. Stir everything together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes or until broth starts to thicken.

Serve with a piece of crusty bread and a nice glass of dry red wine. You can add a few drops of hot pepper sauce when serving.I like to put a piece of chorizo and ham on a piece of bread as I’m eating it.

Enjoy!