Caldo galego — Galicia, Spain

Caldo galego is a clear, hearty broth built on white beans and potatoes, thickened by the starch they release as they cook, and given body by a piece of pork fat or bacon simmered in the pot. Leafy greens — cabbage or turnip greens — are added toward the end so they keep some bite rather than turning to mush. The dish is reported from Galicia, in the northwest corner of Spain, and stands close to Portugal's caldo verde on the other side of the border, sharing the same base of potato, greens and pork fat. It is usually eaten as a starter at the beginning of lunch or dinner, and in Galicia it is often served in small earthenware bowls called cuncas. To prepare it, white beans and potatoes are simmered in salted water with a piece of lard or bacon until soft, then the greens are stirred in and cooked briefly until tender but still green. Cooks who want a richer pot may add chorizo or ham to the simmer, which colours and flavours the broth further. The recipe shifts mainly with what pork product goes into the pot: some households keep it simple with just lard, others add chorizo for a smokier, redder broth, or ham for a milder one. The balance of beans, potatoes and greens, and the long simmer that lets them thicken the broth, is what carries across every version.