History

Porrusalda (leek broth in Basque) is a centuries-old farmhouse soup of inland Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. The fish-cod variant uses Friday's salt-cod water; the chicken variant is the everyday one. Casa Rufo runs a serious version with bacalao; Sorginzulo, Cafe Iruna and Andra Mari all keep porrusalda on the winter menu.

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 25 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced 1cm thick
  • 800g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into rough 3cm chunks
  • 1 medium carrot, sliced (optional)
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.8 litres chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 200g desalted salt cod (bacalao), torn into chunks (optional)
  • 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Country bread and good olive oil, to serve

Method

  1. Wash the sliced leeks thoroughly in cold water, drain.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 minutes until translucent.
  3. Add the sliced leeks and carrot. Sweat covered for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the leeks are sweet and silky. Do not brown.
  4. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika; cook 1 minute.
  5. Add the potato chunks, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes.
  6. Mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the broth.
  7. If using bacalao, add it now and simmer 4 minutes; it cooks through quickly.
  8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
  9. Ladle into deep bowls. Scatter with parsley and finish with a generous glug of raw olive oil.
  10. Serve with thick slices of country bread for dunking.

Tip from the editors. Mash some potatoes into the broth; the broken starch is what gives porrusalda its silken texture without cream. Desalt bacalao 24 hours, three water changes.

Where to eat porrusalda

Porrusalda in Bilbao

Casa Rufo ★ 4.5

Basque Grill€€€abandoMon-Sat 13:30-16:00, 20:30-23:00; Sun closed

Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.

Signature: Txuleta, Bacalao al pil pil, Pimientos del piquillo

Order: The txuleta from the grill; the bacalao al pil pil as the starter.

Tip: Lunch 13:30-16:00, dinner 20:30-23:00; closed Sundays. The deli counter is worth a look.

Calle Hurtado de Amezaga 5, 48008 Bilbao Book →

Sorginzulo ★ 4.4

Spanish tapas€Mon-Sun 09:30-00:30

Sorginzulo on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao makes a 2023 Spanish Tortilla Championship finalist with Euskaber eggs, plus traditional Basque pintxos.

Try: Tortilla de patata pintxo

Plaza Nueva 12, 48005 Bilbao

Cafe Iruna ★ 4.4

Basque€€Mon-Thu 09:00-23:00; Fri 09:00-24:00; Sat 11:00-24:00; Sun 11:00-23:00Until Daily until 23:30

Cafe Iruna on Jardines de Albia in Bilbao opened in 1903, with 300 square metres of Mudejar tiles and pinchos morunos at the corner charcoal grill.

Try: Pinchos morunos, traditional Basque pintxos

Calle Berastegui 4, 48001 Bilbao

More cities are in research. Want porrusalda covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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