#straightouttatampa, this recipe is a faster version of the original spanish caldo gallego (literally meaning 'galician broth', hailing from spain), and is (literally translated by me as) an easy weeknight meal i like to call a "throw-together". hailing from tampa myself, i grew up eating this soup, and certainly many of my fellow tampanians, have from the infamous columbia restaurant.

i was lucky enough to have these fresh, gorgeous collard greens from my father in law's incredible garden (i mean, as far as i know this is his first crop of collards, but just look at 'em! he truly has a gift). however, Normally, I would use frozen ones for the convenience, (and you should too if you don't have fresh collard access).

in the traditional caldo gallego recipe, (even some shortened versions) you are instructed to boil a ham hock to create the broth base, and then use the remaining meat for the diced ham. don't get me wrong, ham hocks are easy to come by, but seeing as though i prefer a shortcut in cooking at times (aka all the time on a busy weeknight), i like to supplement the flavor with some chicken stock and simply add in some diced ham when i sauté the chorizo.

here's what you need:

3 bunches fresh collard greens, washed and chopped, or, 2 bags frozen & chopped
4 links chorizo, sliced
1-1 1/2 cups diced ham
3-4 yukon gold potatoes, chopped in bite size pieces
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
4 tbsp. olive oil
3 cans white northern beans, drained
32 oz. chicken stock
32 oz. water
salt and pepper, to taste

here's how to do it:

in a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic until translucent, about 7 min. add ham and chorizo and continue to sauté until both start to brown around the edges. add the chopped potatoes and beans along with equal parts water and chicken stock (add more water if you think you need more liquid). throw in the chopped collard greens, bring everything to a boil, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1-2 hours. taste, add salt and pepper as needed (and a lil' hot sauce if you're my type). Enjoy!