Garbure Gasconne (Garbure)

Garbure is the great peasant soup of Gascony in south-west France — a thick, smoky, deeply nourishing broth of cabbage, white beans, and preserved meats that is considered by many Gascons to be the region's soul food. Traditionally so thick a spoon should stand upright in it, the soup improves remarkably with reheating.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 300 g (1½ cups) dried haricot beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 400 g (14 oz) smoked pork hock or smoked gammon
• 200 g (7 oz) smoked pork belly or smoked lardons
• 1 confit duck leg (or 200 g / 7 oz additional smoked pork)
• 1 small Savoy or green cabbage (about 600 g / 1¼ lb), core removed and roughly chopped
• 3 medium potatoes (500 g / 1 lb), peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 turnips, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 litres (8 cups) water or light chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper
• Crusty country bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Place the drained beans in a large pot with the smoked pork hock. Cover with the water or stock and bring to a boil. Skim thoroughly. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, then simmer 45 minutes.
2. Add carrots, turnips, and smoked belly or lardons. Continue simmering 20 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and cook a further 15 minutes until beginning to soften.
4. Add the cabbage in batches, pressing it down into the liquid. Add the confit duck leg if using. Simmer 20–25 minutes more until the cabbage is tender and the soup is very thick.
5. Remove the pork hock and duck leg. Pull the meat off the bones, shred coarsely, and return to the pot. Discard bones and excess skin.
6. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper. The soup should be very thick — add a splash of water if it is too dense. Ladle into deep bowls and serve with country bread.

Cook's Notes: Garbure is better the next day. Gascons sometimes serve the broth first as a soup, then the meats and vegetables as a second course. A splash of Armagnac stirred in at the end is not traditional but is very Gascon in spirit.