Soupe aux Choux (Soupe aux choux)
Overview
Soupe aux choux is a hearty French cabbage soup from the countryside of the Auvergne, Limousin and other rural regions. A whole green cabbage is cut into wedges, blanched and simmered in a big pot of water with salt pork belly or a ham hock, a smoked sausage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onion, garlic and a bouquet garni. The soup cooks slowly until the cabbage is meltingly soft and the broth is full of smoky pork flavour. It is ladled over slices of stale country bread, and sometimes topped with grated Cantal cheese, with the meat served alongside.
History
Soupe aux choux was the everyday soup of French farm families for generations, kept warm on the stove and reheated through the week. It became famous across France through the 1981 comedy film La Soupe aux choux, in which an old Bourbonnais farmer's cabbage soup charms a visitor from outer space. Today it is cooked as a comforting winter dish and served at village festivals in central France.
Main ingredients
Green cabbage, salt pork, smoked sausage, potatoes, carrots, turnips. The soup is built on pork and vegetable broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · Potato soups · Cabbage soups · More soups from France
Recipe
Method
- 15 min
Blanch the cabbage wedges in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.
- 2
Put the salt pork in a large pot with 3 l water, bring to the boil and skim.
- 31 h
Add the cabbage, carrots, turnips, onion, garlic and bouquet garni and simmer for 1 hour.
- 440 min
Add the potatoes and sausage and cook for 40 minutes more.
- 5
Pour the soup over bread in bowls and serve the meat alongside.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 20m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
