Garbure is the Pyrenean cabbage-and-confit soup of the Bearn and Gers, a thick winter pottage of green cabbage, white beans. Booking essential at peak times.

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

Serves 63 hrIntermediate

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

  1. Place the ham hock and soaked beans in a large pot with 3 litres of cold water. Bring to a simmer, skim.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and bouquet garni. Simmer 1 hour 30 minutes.
  3. Add the cabbage, carrots, leeks and potatoes. Simmer another 45 minutes.
  4. Warm the confit duck legs in their own fat for 15 minutes, until the skin crisps.
  5. Lift the ham hock, dice the meat, return to the pot. Season to taste.
  6. Ladle the garbure into deep bowls. Top each with a confit duck leg.
  7. Serve with bread. At the end, pour a splash of Madiran into the empty bowl (the chabrot) and drink it.

Editor tip. The chabrot at the end is non-negotiable in Bearn tradition. Use proper haricots tarbais beans, not cannellini, for the canonical texture.