Caldo Gallego I

By on · In Dinner, Herbs and Spices, Historic Recipes, Luncheon, Meals, Meats, Regional and Ethnic, Soups and Stews, Techniques, Vegetables

Caldo Gallego is an exciting, flavor-rich Spanish soup, with wonderful ingredients. It gives great warmth to body and soul.  In the north of Spain, in the province of Galicia, this soup is a favorite for warding off the chill of Winter.  It’s pure comfort food, with exceptionally delicious results.  Just let it cook, and the ingredients will do the work for you.  Make sure the water you use is as pure as possible.
Caldo Gallego

Caldo Gallego I
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serve this with a loaf of crusty bread, a dry white wine and enjoy.
Author:
Recipe type: Soups and Stews
Cuisine: Spanish
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • 3/4 Cup dried white beans
  • 1/4 pound smoked ham hocks
  • 1/4 pound lean smoked bacon or salt pork; in one thick slice
  • 8 Cups pure water
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion; sliced
  • 1/2 small white or Savoy cabbage head
  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
  • 3 medium turnips
  • a few turnip greens
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 chorizo sausages, cut into coin-size slices
Instructions
  1. Pour cold water over beans, ham, and bacon in an earthenware pot.
  2. Cover and barely simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Add the sliced onion and the cabbage, turnips, potatoes and turnip tops, all chopped in fairly large pieces.
  3. Mix, but stir as little as possible in order not to bruise the beans. The soup is best left to cook on its own, with minimal stirring.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste, add sliced chorizo and simmer 1 1/2 hours more. Serve in large soup bowls with meat cut in bite-size pieces.
Notes
Recipe Source: THE SPANISH COOKBOOK by Barbara Norman

Comments: This is a peasant version of 'caldo' as described to me by the owner of the excellent Galician restaurant Oscar in Madrid -- a far-from-peasant restaurant.

In Galicia, the base of all 'caldos' is 'unto' an aged bacon sometimes three, four, or five years old. The smoked ham and bacon or salt pork are suggested as American substitutes and are used as substitutes in Spain outside of Galicia.

Tagged with → • • • • • • • •  
Share →
Cost Considerate

Cost Considerate

Most of our recipes are focused on cost-efficient, economical cooking that pleases palates but doesn't upset your wallet.
New Recipes Section

New Recipes Section

We are updating Epicurus.com to include new recipes, and a whole new format for them. We hope you enjoy.
Real chefs!

Real chefs!

We love cooking, and our publisher is a master chef, so you can rely upon our great recipes for good, wholesome cooking.
Please use the search box above to find content within this section.

Thanks for dropping by! Feel free to stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.