Caldo Verde (Portuguese Greens Soup)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 7 cups water
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup amaranth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces sausage, preferably Portuguese linguiça, or chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound collard greens or kale, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Lemon slices to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot, heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown.
2. Add 7 cups of water, chicken broth, potatoes, amaranth, kosher salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. While potatoes are simmering, in a medium pot heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil over a medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned.
4. At the end of the 20 minute simmer of the soup, mash the potatoes in the pot. Add the cooked sausage and white beans to the soup pot.
5. Pour 1 cup of the soup liquid into the sausage pot to loosen the browned bits. Return the soup liquid to the soup pot.
6. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes. Add the collard greens and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
7. Optionally garnish with lemon slices.