Chef Isabel
Ajo Carretero de Soria
Ajo carretero is Soriano, from the pine country of Soria: lamb cooked in a plain garlicky broth, then served the old way, meat first and bread-soaked soup after.
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Caldo Gallego
Created by
Caldo Gallego is Galicia in a bowl: bitter grelos, creamy white beans, potato, and a small knob of unto giving depth without turning the broth heavy.
Soups & Stews
Spanish
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
One Pot
20 min
Active Time
2 hr 15 min cook•10 hr 35 min total
Yield6 servings
Caldo Gallego belongs to Galicia, the wet green corner of the northwest, and the grelos are what make it Gallego. Not kale by fashion, not spinach because it was in the drawer. Grelos, turnip greens, bring the clean bitterness that cuts through potato, white beans, and the little knob of unto, cured pork fat, that gives the broth its old depth.
The method that decides it is the simmer after the greens go in. The beans and pork give the water body first, then the potatoes break just enough at the edges, and only then do the grelos soften into the broth without losing their backbone. Boil it hard and you get torn greens and cloudy potato. Keep it steady and quiet, and the pot tastes deeper than the ingredients look on paper.
If you are far from Galicia, no hace falta haber pisado Espana. Use turnip greens if you can find them. If not, mustard greens are the closest ordinary substitute because they keep that bitter edge; lacinato kale will work, but the broth turns sweeter and less sharp. Unto is harder to find, so use a small piece of salt pork or panceta, knowing it gives pork depth but not the same clean cured taste. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Caldo Gallego comes from Galicia's cocina de cuchara, spoon food built for damp weather, small farms, and kitchens that stretched beans, potatoes, greens, and preserved pork into a full meal. Grelos, the tender turnip tops eaten before the plant flowers, are one of Galicia's defining winter vegetables and give the broth its bitter, green character. Unto, cured pork fat kept from the household pig, was used in small amounts to season a whole pot when meat itself was scarce.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
dried white beans
Quantity
300g
soaked overnight
cold water
Quantity
2.2 litres
lacón, salted pork shoulder, or salt pork
Quantity
150g
soaked if very salty
unto, cured pork fat
Quantity
50g
or 75g panceta or salt pork if unavailable
ham bone or pork bone (optional)
Quantity
1 small
potatoes
Quantity
600g
peeled and cut into rough 3cm pieces
grelos or turnip greens
Quantity
500g
washed well and chopped
onion
Quantity
1 small
peeled and left whole
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
peeled and lightly crushed
bay leaf
Quantity
1
olive oil
Quantity
1 tablespoon
fine salt
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| dried white beanssoaked overnight | 300g |
| cold water | 2.2 litres |
| lacón, salted pork shoulder, or salt porksoaked if very salty | 150g |
| unto, cured pork fator 75g panceta or salt pork if unavailable | 50g |
| ham bone or pork bone (optional) | 1 small |
| potatoespeeled and cut into rough 3cm pieces | 600g |
| grelos or turnip greenswashed well and chopped | 500g |
| onionpeeled and left whole | 1 small |
| garlicpeeled and lightly crushed | 2 cloves |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| olive oil | 1 tablespoon |
| fine salt | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Large heavy pot or olla, 5 to 6 litres
- •Skimming spoon
- •Sharp knife for greens
Instructions
- 1
Soak the beans
Put the dried white beans in a large bowl, cover them with plenty of cold water, and leave them overnight. If your lacón or salt pork is very salty, soak it separately in cold water for 4 to 8 hours, changing the water once. Pésalo, no lo adivines: beans that start evenly soaked cook evenly.
- 2
Start the broth
Drain the beans and put them in a heavy pot with 2.2 litres cold water, the lacón or salt pork, the unto, the optional bone, the whole onion, garlic, bay leaf, and olive oil. Bring it up slowly to a gentle simmer, skimming off the grey foam that rises. Do not salt yet; the pork may already have given the pot enough.
If you use unto, leave it whole so it seasons the broth and can be lifted out later. It is there for depth, not for eating in big pieces. - 3
Simmer the beans
Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, until the beans are nearly tender but not collapsing. Keep the surface at a quiet tremble. A hard boil splits the beans and muddies the broth, and Galicia did not go to the trouble of making this soup so you could bully it.
- 4
Add the potatoes
Add the potatoes and continue simmering for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender and their edges begin to roughen. Press two or three potato pieces against the side of the pot with a spoon; this lightly thickens the broth without turning it into mash.
- 5
Cook the grelos
Add the chopped grelos or turnip greens in handfuls, pushing them under the broth as they wilt. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the stems are tender and the bitterness has softened but not disappeared. This is the point of the dish: the greens should still taste green.
- 6
Finish and rest
Lift out the onion, bay leaf, bone, and unto. Slice the lacón or salt pork into small pieces and return it to the pot. Taste the broth now and salt only if it needs it. Rest the caldo off the heat for 10 minutes before serving so the potato starch settles and the broth turns rounder.
Chef Tips
- •Grelos are the first choice. Turnip greens are the honest substitute. Mustard greens work when you need that bitter edge; kale will feed you, but it makes a sweeter, softer caldo.
- •Unto is powerful, so use less than you think. A small knob seasons a whole pot. If you use panceta or salt pork instead, trim it and keep the quantity modest, or the broth turns greasy.
- •Caldo Gallego is better after a rest and very good the next day. The potatoes thicken the broth in the fridge, so loosen it with a splash of water as it reheats.
- •Serve it with plain country bread and, if you like, a young Galician red or a simple white from Ribeiro. Nothing fancy. The pot has already done the talking.
Advance Preparation
- •Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water so they cook evenly and keep their skins.
- •The broth can be made 1 day ahead. Reheat it gently and add a little water if the potato has thickened it too much.
- •Wash the grelos ahead, dry them well, and keep them wrapped in a clean towel in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 560g)
Calories
460 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
30 mg
Sodium
1020 mg
Total Carbohydrates
61 g
Dietary Fiber
14 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
21 g
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