Caldo Verde, Sausage and Greens Soup

Slice the sausage into coins about 1 centimeter thick and set aside.

Peel and dice the onion. Mince the garlic cloves finely.

Scrub the potatoes and slice them very thin, almost translucent. Strip the chard leaves from the stems and pile the leaves into a tight bundle. Cut across into thin ribbons.

Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and the smoked paprika. Stir everything together and let the garlic and paprika bloom in the oil for one minute until fragrant.

Pour in the water and bring to a gentle boil. Add the sliced potatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook until the potatoes are very tender and beginning to fall apart, about 20 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to lightly mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.

Push the potato slices aside and add the sliced sausage to the pot. Let the sausage cook in the broth for 5 minutes until it has released its color and fat into the soup.

Scatter the chard ribbons over the top of the soup. Stir them into the broth and let them wilt for 2 to 3 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed. Ladle into deep bowls and finish each serving with a generous drizzle of your best olive oil.