Chicken Kale Soup ~ Caldo Verde com Frango

Boil the Chicken and Make the Broth

1. Cut the whole chicken breasts into 3-4 pieces so that they cook faster. You will be shredding them later, so don't worry about the cuts.
2. Bring 6 cups of Chicken Broth or stock to a boil with the salt and the pepper, then gently place the raw chicken breasts into the pot. Boil for 10 minutes until there is no longer any pink. Then remove the chicken to a plate to cool.
3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite size pieces. Save the broth for adding to the soup later.

Make the soup

1. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Clean and slice the kale.
2. Preheat a separate soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to coat the onions in the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring so they do not brown, but start to glisten and become translucent.
3. Add the potatoes and the garlic to the pot and mix with the onions. Then add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Cover and cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
4. Using an immersion blender or standing blender, pulse the potatoes to blend. I do this until smooth, but if you want some texture you can leave some of the potato chunks in the soup.
5. Add the kale and the remaining chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Last add the chicken, taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as needed.