Midi-Pyrénées Garbure Soup

The Midi-Pyrénées Garbure is a traditional recipe of the Gascony and South West cuisine. The Garbure dish is a soup whose ingredients can vary from a department to another, but also from a season to another. However the basis will always be the same: green cabbage and duck meat. The Garbure is really appreciated in winter, enjoyed close in front of the fireplace.

The word "Garbure" is said to originate from the word garbe (gerbe in French and bunch in English), which means "that is made with different kinds of vegetables", such as potatoes, leeks, carrots, green cabbage, onions, and the indispensable garlic used in every Gascony dishes!

The Garbure used to be the daily dish for Gascony peasants until the last century. It was different from a house to another, and following the pace of seasons. Women used to prepare it early in the morning, and let it cooked slowly the whole day while they were working outside. Everyday they added more vegetables or meat to the Garbure that was left. You can imagine how tasty it was by the end of the week!

The Garbure can be a whole meal in itself as it is made up of broth, vegetables, meat, and also bread, as French add bread into their soup.

Gascony is very famous for its duck meat, and of course the Garbure is no exception. Gascons used to put parts such as the neck, or some bones, that would give a good taste, but with not much meat on it. However, nowadays they put good pieces, such as Duck Confit or wings.

Depending on the families and departments of Midi-Pyrénées, they can also put pork in the Garbure, such as ham, sausages, etc.

The secret for a delicious Garbure is to let it cook very slowly the whole day, and it will even be better the following day.

And if you want to be very traditional, you will finish your Garbure pouring some red wine into it, and drinking the mix Garbure-wine out of the plate. This is the traditional Chabrol.