Comments on: Smoked Ham Hock Bean Cabbage Soup (Garbure)

By: Audrey

Audrey — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:36:36 +0000

In reply to Ryan. Wow, that sounds amazing! I'm not at all sure what type of wood most butchers/artisans around here use for smoking pork, but with the abundance of apple, I'd be shocked if it wasn't.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:27:05 +0000

In reply to Audrey. Damson is related to plum. Not too dissimilar to apple wood but I actually prefer damson for pork. I also brined the hock for 48hr in a salt, brown sugar and garlic brine.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 08:23:23 +0000

In reply to Ryan.

I’ve never heard of damson wood, Ryan. I know all the common smoking woods (cherry, hickory…) but what’s the profile like on damson? As for the soup, it’s a perfect, hearty bowl for après ski 🙂

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:24:16 +0000

Love it! Reminds me of my many ski trips. I smoked the hock myself using damson wood.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 06:08:38 +0000

In reply to Kelly Melissa Prim.

Great stuff, Kelly! When it comes to pantry staples like beans and veggies, you’ll be hard pressed not to find some type of precedent for a recipe, “thanks” in part to war times. If it was available, it was eaten. I often find myself in the same situation, throwing a few things together from the cupboard or fridge, and come to find it’s a popular dish in a country I’ve never visited.

When they say food unites us, they mean it 🙂

By: Kelly Melissa Prim

Kelly Melissa Prim — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:58:15 +0000

I made this by accident, I made white bean and cabbage soup with sausage and wondered if there was any precedent for it, apparently I make French food without knowing it. I used a polish sausage and red cabbage and included both white beans and lentils. I also used spices like cumin and paprika but all three of my kids ate it and had seconds so I count this a win.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 06:08:54 +0000

In reply to Lauren. Absolutely love to hear it, Lauren. Sometimes we fear the spices we aren't familiar with, but they can really turn a dish into something special. Clove is a spice you do have to be careful with, especially if you grind them.. They can be very overpowering!

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 22:43:08 +0000

This soup was everything I hoped it would be. So delicious. I followed the recipe as written and it turned out perfectly. I was nervous because I’ve never used whole cloves before, but the flavor combination was so comforting. Thank you so much!

By: Audrey

Audrey — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 07:30:27 +0000

In reply to Janet Baker. I'm very sorry to hear that, Janet. I know not every dish is for every one, and that's ok. But it still bums me out when someone takes the time to enjoy a recipe and they're not a fan of the end product. But I fully understand that some flavor combinations just don't agree with every palate.

By: Janet Baker

Janet Baker — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 01:31:47 +0000

This didn’t turn out well for me. The vegetables got in all an hour of simmering, and it turned them into mush. The cabbage, having been blanched, was then subjected to long cooking, and cancelled the reason for the blanching, or at least in Chinese cooking, where blanched vegetables are stir-fried only very lightly to keep the bright color. The cabbage in this dish hadn’t a chance to retain any color. The spices, the cloves, thyme, and red pepper flakes, with the strong smoked flavor from the hocks, didn’t seem to go together.