French Cabbage and Sausage Soup (Soupe Paysanne)
Sep 28, 2024 01:07 AM
Known in French as Soupe Paysanne, this Cabbage and Sausage Soup is a rustic recipe that takes centre stage on French family tables throughout Winter. Every region and family have their own twist on it, but always with a hearty mix of vegetables and meats.
This one is loaded with cabbage, carrots, leek, smoked pork sausage and potatoes in a flavourful broth. It is a perfectly hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup that satisfies and warms you up during colder days.
Translating literally to “Peasant Soup”, Soupe Paysanne refers to a chunky French soup that combine vegetables, potatoes and pork, cooked in a broth. Like its name suggests, it used to be made by farmers making do with seasonal vegetables and cured or smoked meat, to make hearty soups during colder days.
There is no precise recipe, and you may include what’s in season. But given this is a Winter dish, you will often find it made with cabbage, leeks, carrots and potatoes, which are all widely available during the colder months.
As for the meat, smoked pork is almost always the choice for making French peasant soup, as it imparts so much delicious flavor to the broth. It can in the form of smoked bacon, ham hock or smoked sausage – my personal favorite!
The Soupe Paysanne is not really a dish you will find on a restaurant menu in France. But it is a very popular recipe amongst home cooks as it’s simple, satisfying and you can easily put your own twist on it too.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large smoked sausage (about 200g), sliced in coins
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 leek, white part only, cut in ½-inch half rounds
- 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 10 leaves of green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 2 potatoes (150g), peeled and cubed
- 4 cups (1L) vegetable stock, ideally low sodium (or more, if needed, to cover the soup)
- 3 bay leaves
- 4-5 thyme sprigs
- ½ tsp black pepper
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
55 minutes
Total Time:
70 minutes
Write a comment
No comments