Anthony Bourdain’s Portuguese kale soup
As adapted by him and Laurie Woolever from a Provincetown favorite.
Cooking
August 16, 2026

Good morning! Today we have for you:

An overhead shot of soup filled with kale and slices of sausage.
Portuguese kale soup from “Appetites” by Anthony Bourdain with Laurie Woolever (Ecco 2016), adapted by Pete Wells. Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Summer sustenance

I haven’t yet seen “Tony,” the Anthony Bourdain biopic that takes place in 1970s Provincetown, Mass., when he decided to become a chef. But much has been written about it, including by our own Pete Wells, who traveled to Cape Cod to see who remembered what about the man in that moment in time. It’s a great read, filled with gems. There’s a wayward bride, a chef with a pet quahog and that same chef’s recipe for Portuguese kale soup (as adapted by Mr. Bourdain and Laurie Woolever).

It’s the soup I want to call out here. Thick with kidney beans, two kinds of sausage and plenty of curly kale, the recipe was brought to Provincetown by the Portuguese fishing community that’s populated the area since at least the 19th century. Pete reports that you can still find bowls of it in restaurants there now, if you happen to be nearby. Otherwise, it’s not at all hard to make it yourself. And while it simmers, maybe read (or re-read) “Kitchen Confidential,” the book that kicked off Mr. Bourdain’s bad-boy-in-the-kitchen literary career.

Featured Recipe

Portuguese Kale Soup

View Recipe →

Also on the menu

Rhode Island clam chowder: Sam Sifton’s brothy, minimalist chowder contains neither cream nor tomatoes, letting the briny flavor of the shellfish shine.

Prosciutto and melon salad: Ali Slagle’s no-cook summer salad is a twist on the classic Italian antipasto, to which she adds mozzarella for creaminess and some peppery arugula for a contrasting bite.

Herbed garlic bread: You know what’s good with soup and salad? Garlic bread. Samin Nosrat adds fresh basil and chives to the usual parsley in her version, making it especially summery and bright.

For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.

Article Image

Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver.

Rhode Island Clam Chowder

By Sam Sifton

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

994

1 hour

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Article Image

Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.

Prosciutto and Melon Salad

By Ali Slagle

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

1,085

15 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Article Image

Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Amy Wilson.

Herbed Garlic Bread

By Samin Nosrat

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarUnfilled Star

477

1 hour

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Reading and eating

Speaking of coming-of-age chef’s memoirs, Alice Waters’s “Coming to My Senses” (which Pete wrote about in 2017), is all about her life up until she opened Chez Panisse in 1971. I suggest reading it while eating this gorgeous blueberry cobbler from the longtime Chez Panisse pastry chef Lindsey Remolif Shere (adapted by Molly O’Neill).

What are you reading? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. I’m always looking for my next great read.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Fresh, delicious dinner ideas for busy people, from Emily Weinstein and NYT Cooking.

Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter.

Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly.

Get it in your inbox.
Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties.

Sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties.

Get it in your inbox.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to NYT Cooking

Connect with us on:

facebookxinstagrampinterestwhatsapp

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

Zeta LogoAdChoices Logo

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018