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History
Garbure is the canonical Pyrenean mountain soup, served as the working farmer's evening meal across the Bearn, Bigorre and Gers since at least the 18th century. The recipe relies on the trinciat (the cooking liquid), the chabrot (a pour of red wine into the empty bowl) and the confit duck leg sitting on top of the cabbage. The Garbure championship in Oloron-Sainte-Marie has run annually since 1996.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 small green cabbage, sliced
- 300g dried haricots tarbais, soaked overnight
- 1 ham hock (jarret de jambon)
- 4 confit duck legs
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 3 potatoes, cubed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bouquet garni
- Sea salt, black pepper
- Red wine (Madiran) for the chabrot
Method
- Place the ham hock and soaked beans in a large pot with 3 litres of cold water. Bring to a simmer, skim.
- Add the onion, garlic and bouquet garni. Simmer 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, leeks and potatoes. Simmer another 45 minutes.
- Warm the confit duck legs in their own fat for 15 minutes, until the skin crisps.
- Lift the ham hock, dice the meat, return to the pot. Season to taste.
- Ladle the garbure into deep bowls. Top each with a confit duck leg.
- Serve with bread. At the end, pour a splash of Madiran into the empty bowl (the chabrot) and drink it.
Tip from the editors. The chabrot at the end is non-negotiable in Bearn tradition. Use proper haricots tarbais beans, not cannellini, for the canonical texture.
Where to eat garbure
Garbure in Toulouse
Chez Navarre ★ 4.5
Chez Navarre is saint-etienne table d'hotes with shared long tables, adopted as a canteen by locals and missed by visitors who stick to capitole.
Why locals goSaint-Etienne table d'hotes with shared long tables, adopted as a canteen by locals and missed by visitors who stick to Capitole.
TipEat at the long shared tables; bookings essential, the locals adopt it as a canteen.
Le Genty Magre ★ 4.5
Le Genty Magre between Esquirol and Capitole is chef Romain Brard's southwestern dining room, winner of the 2023 Toulouse Cassoulet Championship.
SignatureCassoulet de Toulouse, Bourgeois southwestern menu, Foie gras
TipThe cassoulet sells in glass jars to take home; book the small inner room for the calmer service.
Restaurant Emile ★ 4.6
Restaurant Emile on Toulouse's pedestrian Place Saint-Georges has been the canonical cassoulet address since 1947, with chef Christophe Fasan in charge.
SignatureCassoulet de Toulouse with confit duck, Magret de canard, Foie gras maison
TipOrder the cassoulet pre-loaded with confit duck, not the all-pork version; ask for the second-floor terrace table on a warm evening.
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