Caldo gallego

Name: Caldo gallego
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 250 g dried white beans; 400 g cured or fresh pork ribs; 50 g unto (cured pork fat) or smoked bacon; 2500 ml water; 600 g potatoes; 400 g turnip tops (grelos) or green cabbage; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp olive oil

Greens, white bean and pork soup

Caldo gallego: Galicia's winter broth of greens, white beans, potatoes and pork

Features:

One pot Dairy free

Cuisine:

Spanish

On cold, rainy days in Santiago, Lugo or any village in between, a bowl of caldo starts lunch: a light broth with white beans, potatoes and turnip greens (grelos) or cabbage, flavoured with pork. This contains pork (cured rib and unto, Galician cured pork fat; bacon fat works in its place). The pork is cooked with the beans first, then the potatoes and greens go in. A common mistake is adding the greens too early, so they turn grey; they need only the last 15–20 minutes. Chef's tip: caldo tastes better reheated the next day, so make a big pot.

Total time: 140 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6

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Ingredients

Serves6

9 oz dried white beanssoaked overnight in cold water
14 oz cured or fresh pork ribscut into pieces
1 ¾ oz unto (cured pork fat) or smoked bacon
10 ½ cups water
1 ⅓ lb potatoesa floury variety, peeled
14 oz turnip tops (grelos) or green cabbagestalks removed, roughly shredded
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

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Method

0/5 done

Step 1: If using cured ribs, soak them in cold water in the fridge, covered, overnight with the beans to draw out the salt.
5 min
Step 2: Drain the 9 oz dried white beans and put them in a large pot with 14 oz cured or fresh pork ribs, 1 ¾ oz unto (cured pork fat) or smoked bacon and the 10 ½ cups water. Bring slowly to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 1½ hours, until the beans are tender and the meat comes away from the bone.
95 min
Step 3: Cut the 1 ⅓ lb potatoes into rough chunks by snapping them off with a knife and add them to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.
10 min
Step 4: Add the 14 oz turnip tops (grelos) or green cabbage and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, until the potatoes are soft and the greens are tender but still bright.
20 min
Step 5: Check the pork has reached at least 160°F and is tender. Taste the broth and add 1 tsp salt as needed; cured pork is salty, so season at the end. Rest for 10 minutes before serving, with the meat in the bowls or on the side.
10 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 380 kcal
Protein: 22 g
Carbs: 38 g
Fat: 15 g
Fibre: 10 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does caldo gallego take?: About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of potatoes?: Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).

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