Spanish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Caldo Gallego

Clear Galician soup of collard greens, floury potatoes and white beans, which thicken the broth on their own.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g white beans (soaked overnight)
• 400 g collard greens
• 700 g floury potatoes
• 300 g beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight, drain the next day and set them on with the beef, the halved onion and the bay leaf in 2 l cold water.
2. Bring slowly to a simmer, skim off the foam and let it simmer gently, covered, for 50–60 min. until the beans are tender and the meat pulls apart with a fork.
3. Strip the collard greens of their coarse ribs, cut into wide strips and wash thoroughly; peel the potatoes and break them into rough chunks rather than cutting them — this releases more starch.
4. Remove the meat, pull it into bite-sized pieces and set aside, discard the onion and bay leaf.
5. Add the potatoes and collard greens to the broth and cook uncovered for 25 min. until the potatoes fall apart at the edges and the soup turns lightly cloudy and creamy.
6. Briefly fry the chopped garlic golden in the olive oil, off the heat stir in the paprika, and add this oil mixture along with the meat to the soup; season with salt and pepper and serve hot.