Garbure

This is another one of those whole meal , winter soups. I never get tired of them, myself. For this soup, a carcass of a flavorful bird, duck, goose, or capon, is the most traditional and delicious stock base. So it can be very apropos around Thanksgiving and Christmas, when many of us confront the detritis of a big bird feast, hoping to waste and want not. Mine is based on the bones and other remains of the 9 lb capon I made for my Friday night gang. It went well with a capon sandwich, with some cranberry onion jam and arugula.

First, you make a nice pot of rich stock from the bones, a carrot, a parsnip, some fennel stalks, and an onion. Strain and degrease it, and cut up any presentable leftover meat into smallish squares. Cover and refrigerate. You can simulataneously soak some dried white beans or chickpeas while you do this, but rinsed and drained canned beans or garbanzos will also do.

garlic 3 cloves chopped
carrots 2 chopped
onion 1 chopped
leek 1 chopped
cabbage 1/3 cabbage, cut in one inch squares
olive oil 4 tbsps
potatoes 1 lb, peeled and cut in 1/2" squares
celery root (opt) 1 cut in 1/2"squares
fresh sage 4 leaves, cut in thin ribbons
parsley 1/4 cup, chopped
salt, pepper

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a heavy soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion, leek, carrot, cabbage and garlic. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add broth, potatoes,sage, salt and pepper to taste and celery root, if using. Meanwhile, if you are cooking your own dried beans, put them in a pan with additional water to cover and a bit of salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until tender. When the beans and potatoes are done, drain beans and add with reserved meat and parsley. Heat through, adjust seasoning, and serve.I like to sprinkle it with smoked spanish paprika.

I understand that a related Italian soup is called "Thunder and Lightening", because of the digestive double whammy of cabbage and beans. I haven't found this soup to be problematic in this way. It is my (entirely unfounded) theory that these 2 noted gastric agitators kind of cancel each other out. Anyhow, it's a very good soup, and has caused me no, uh, regrets.

Comments

[amy]

Well, I've never considered chick peas and cabbage from a digestive standpoint (no problems in that area, either) or a culinary one. I like both of those foods, though. I'll have to try this.

[amanda]

Garbure is also a name for "leftover soup" in fancy restaurants.
They take the remains of various soups of the week, put it all together, get out the giant stick blender and voila! an all new "fresh" soup.
Recycling at its best...

[Luisa]

I just think the name "garbure" sounds so rustic and wonderful and French. I have a recipe for this languishing about somewhere, and you've inspired me to pull it out. I'm so glad you liked the cranberry onion jam! It is particularly good on sandwiches, I find.

[lindy]

And you can find Luisa's cranberry onion jam at :
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/
the_wednesday_chef_/2005/12/jasper_whites_c.html