Caldo gallego – Galician greens, bean and potato soup
Galicia's winter soup: white beans, potatoes and turnip tops (grelos) simmered slowly with cured pork shoulder (lacón), salt pork and chorizo. The meat is sliced and eaten with the soup or after it. Just as often made with berza (collard-type cabbage) instead of grelos, and better the next day.
- 13 h 52Time
- 29 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 49 gprotein per portion
- 690kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 200 gDried white beans
- 300 gLacón (cured pork shoulder), in one piece
- 100 gSalted pork belly, in one piece
- ≈ 2.5 lWater, cold
- 600 gPotato, peeled, in chunks
- 500 gTurnip tops (grelos), washed, roughly chopped
- 2Spanish chorizos
- to tasteSalt
Method
- The night before, soak the beans in plenty of cold water. Soak the lacón in a separate bowl to draw out some of the salt.
- Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with the lacón, salt pork and cold water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off the foam that rises.
- Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans are almost tender.
- Peel the potatoes and break them into chunks: cut halfway in and snap off each piece, so the starch thickens the broth. Wash the turnip tops and chop them roughly.
- Add the potatoes and chorizo and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the turnip tops and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. Taste before adding salt, as the meat is already salty.
- Lift out the lacón, salt pork and chorizo and cut them into pieces. Serve the soup in deep bowls with the meat in it or alongside.
