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Caldo Gallego Recipe

Abuela’s Caldo Gallego

Written by Published on in Soups

Abuela’s Caldo Gallego Recipe is a guide to making this Spanish white bean and chorizo stew. This recipe will help you make one of our favorite comfort foods.

This recipe is another example of how versatile Cuban food is. As we said, this dish finds its roots in Spain. Spanish is one of the many diverse influences that have heavily shaped Cuban cuisine. For such a small island it really has such a diverse and wide range of flavors. Caldo Gallego literally means “Galician broth”. It is a traditional soup dish from Galicia. It is also heavily influenced by a similar caldo verde, which is the traditional soup dish of Portugal.

What Goes Into a Traditional Caldo Gallego

A classic Caldo Gallego is a white bean stew that typically has a chorizo/ham component. It’s definitely a very hearty dish.

This recipe is also a sneaky way to get the vegetables in. Ani always jokes that this recipe was one of the only times most Cuban Abuelas even cook with this many green vegetables. So if you like your greens with a little bit of chorizo, this recipe is for you.

Caldo Gallego is such a rich dish. Each step in this recipe really helps you to compound the flavor. It’s why it takes a little time.

We are playing with a few instant pot variations, and will get back to you with a possible short cut. But in the mean time, taking your time with this one is worth it. The end result is really delicious.

Let’s Cook!

If you are a Soup Person we have so many more for you to try!

Sopa de Cebolla, Our Lentil Soup, Yaya’s Homemade Chicken Soup and Crema de Malanga

Abuela's Caldo Gallego
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Abuela’s Caldo Gallego

Recipe by Abuelas Cuban CounterCourse: SoupsCuisine: CubanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 30 oz cannellini beans, (see page for bean prep or if canned then drain and rinse) 

  • 2 pounds of short ribs on the bone 

  • 1 to 1.5 pounds of pork belly, sliced in 2-inch wide strips 

  • 1 pound ham hock (two small ones or 1 large one) 

  • 3 links of chorizo, sliced thinly on the diagonal, (I like Palacios brand)

  • 2 bay leaves 

  • 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped 

  • 6 garlic cloves, finely minced 

  • 1 pound of baby potatoes, cleaned but unpeeled 

  • 2.5 cups of green cabbage, thickly sliced 

  • 15-20 leaves of Swiss or rainbow chard, sliced in ribbons 

  • 1 cup of kale, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon of saffron strands (bloomed in 1 cup of warm water) 

  • 1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped

  • 3 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil 

  • 12 cups of water 

Directions

  • Start by making the broth. In a large pot add half the chorizo, short ribs, pork belly and ham hock with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil then drop the heat to low. Cook covered for 2.5 hours. 
    If you have the time, refrigerate the broth overnight. Remove the fatty layer that forms on top so you are left with just a clear broth. 
  • In a heavy-bottom pot add the other half of the chorizo and onions and let the chorizo fat render. Then add the oil, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and allow it to cook for 3 minutes.abuela's caldo gallego
  • On high heat, add the saffron water and saffron strands to the pot. Then add the potatoes, beans and the broth from the meat into the pot. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer.
  • Cook for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. If you think it needs more liquid add some water. It should be a broth. Cook for 10 more minutes minutes. 
  • Add all the greens when ready to serve. Continue cooking at low heat until everything is tender about another 5 minutes. Be sure to serve when the greens are still vibrant. 
    Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

Notes

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