Caldo de Mandioca

Peel 1 kg of cassava, rinse it, cut into chunks and place in a pressure cooker. Add 1.5 L of water and 1 bay leaf, then cook under pressure for about 30 minutes, until the cassava is completely soft.

Remove the bay leaf, then drain and reserve the cooking water. Remove the tough fibrous core from the center of the cassava.

Transfer about two-thirds of the cassava to a blender, pour in 500 ml of the reserved water and blend until smooth and thick. Leave the rest of the cassava in small chunks.

In a large pot, heat 60 ml of oil over low heat, add 50 g of bacon and fry until crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside.

In the same pot, cook 300 g of casings-removed Toscana sausage, breaking it up with a spatula, until well browned. Remove the sausage and drain off the excess fat.

In the pot, sauté 0.5 onion and 4 garlic cloves until soft. Add the cassava purée, the remaining cassava chunks and another 1000 ml of the cooking water, stir well and bring to a boil.

Season the soup with salt and hot sauce to taste, then simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring, until the caldo thickens.

Return the fried bacon and sausage to the pot, warm through for 2 minutes, sprinkle with 3 stalks of chopped green onion and serve hot.