The tasty soup is not one of those country dishes with numerous ingredients that take all day to cook. It's convenient to prepare and serve and is a good example of a simple recipe with few ingredients. In traditional Portuguese kitchens, the soup is made with water, not stock, and is simply a chowder of potatoes that are cooked and mashed to thicken the soup. Chopped onion and shredded greens simmer briefly in the soup, which is finished with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. To make the soup more substantial, sausage might be heated in it.
Portuguese custom calls for adding a rich garlic sausage.
I sometimes use chicken or turkey sausages. I often make this soup using chard. You can also use spinach or cabbage. To make it more hearty, follow one of the variations below and add the sausage of your choice. If you're not adding sausage, you might like to prepare the soup with vegetable or chicken broth.