Garbure bigourdane, dish | Bonjour Terroir

Garbure bigourdane

A pot simmering for hours on end, a cabbage, haricots tarbais and a ham heel: garbure bigourdane is the meal that nourished the peasants of the Pyrenean valleys before becoming the emblem championed today by the Confrérie d'Argelès-Gazost.

Traditional dish from Midi-Pyrénées.

History & Origins

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A peasant soup born of the pot and the kitchen garden

Garbure is a potée or thick soup made from vegetables and a ham bone, typical of Gascon and Pyrenean cuisine. It was the 'everyday soup' of peasants in south-western France from at least the mid-18th century: an inexpensive and complete meal whose emergence was tied to the spread of the domestic kitchen garden and the earthenware pot from the Early Middle Ages. The recipe officially entered French gastronomic heritage around the 1789 Revolution, and featured as early as 1767 in the Dictionnaire portatif de cuisine.

Its etymology remains disputed between Visigothic, Spanish (garbias, a stew), Occitan (garbura), or Gascon (garbe) origins — and the dish appeared in French literature as early as 1659, from the pen of Molière, spelt 'carbure' in Le Médecin volant. Every territory in the South-West lays claim to its own version — Gascon, Béarnais, Landais, Girondin, Ariégeois, and Bigourdan — to the point that there are said to be as many garbure recipes as households with a kitchen garden and a salting tub.

A brotherhood to keep tradition alive in Argelès-Gazost

Since 28 May 1997, the Confrérie de la Garbure Bigourdane, headquartered in Argelès-Gazost in the Gaves valley, has brought together those who wish to make this ancestral dish from the Bigourdan terroir known and promote it, along with its culinary and cultural traditions. Dressed in red and gold — the colours of Bigorre —, it acts as an ambassador for the valley's art of living.

Product characteristics

Sensory profile

Appearance

a thick, dense soup, where vegetables cut into large pieces (cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes) and chunks of meat break the surface of a rich broth.

Aroma

an aroma of cabbage and duck fat broth, lifted by the ham and bouquet garni.

Taste

rich and savoury, driven by country ham and confit, softened by melting vegetables and the haricot tarbais.

Texture

so thick that regional lore has it a ladle stuck into the dish 'stands upright' — the thickness of the broth, swollen by stale bread, is its hallmark.

How it is made

Soaking and preparation

The day before, the haricots tarbais are soaked in cold water; on the day, the vegetables (cabbage, carrots, turnips, le… Read more

The day before, the haricots tarbais are soaked in cold water; on the day, the vegetables (cabbage, carrots, turnips, leeks, potatoes) are peeled and cut into large chunks, the cabbage into strips.

First simmer

In a large pot, the poultry stock, the country ham heel, the drained beans and a bouquet garni are brought to the boil, … Read more

In a large pot, the poultry stock, the country ham heel, the drained beans and a bouquet garni are brought to the boil, then left to simmer for around 45 minutes.

Vegetables browned in duck fat

Meanwhile, the duck confit legs render in the oven; in this fat, the carrots, turnips, celery and leeks are browned with… Read more

Meanwhile, the duck confit legs render in the oven; in this fat, the carrots, turnips, celery and leeks are browned with shallots and garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Final simmering

These vegetables join the pot with the blanched cabbage and potatoes for around 45 minutes of further cooking, before th… Read more

These vegetables join the pot with the blanched cabbage and potatoes for around 45 minutes of further cooking, before the meats, kept warm, are returned to the pot just before serving.

Tasting & pairings

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Traditionally served in winter to warm young and old alike, garbure is increasingly enjoyed all year round. It is accompanied by toasted slices of country bread rubbed with garlic. On farms in the upper Argelès-Gazost valley, the soup often opens the meal, followed by a slice of grilled Porc Noir Gascon; elsewhere, it makes a complete meal in its own right among friends after an excursion in the mountains.

The ritual that concludes the meal is 'chabrot': a splash of red wine is poured into the broth remaining at the bottom of the plate, to be drunk straight from the dish. At table, garbure pairs with a robust red wine from the South-West — Madiran first and foremost — or, for white wine lovers, a dry and mineral Jurançon.

Labels & certifications

Good to know

No official quality mark protects garbure bigourdane, a peasant dish with no set recipe. The Confrérie de la Garbure Bigourdane, based in Argelès-Gazost, works to make it known and ensure its promotion.