Porrusalda

The story

Porrusalda, also written purrusalda, means leek broth, and the name says most of it: leeks and potatoes simmered until the potatoes begin to fall apart and thicken the soup. El Español's food section counts it among the great pucheros, or pot dishes, of Basque cooking, with humble roots in two cheap vegetables. It is the soup a Spanish mother makes on cold days and in flu season, and on the Cantabrian coast it is eaten even in summer. The soup has spread from the Basque Country across Spain, and each family adds its own touches: carrots or a piece of pumpkin, some pork, or salt cod. The cod version is the one tied to the calendar. Because it uses salt cod rather than meat, porrusalda with bacalao is the version Spanish cooks bring back for Lent and Holy Week, which in 2027 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10. The newspaper Público describes it as an affordable dish known in many Spanish kitchens, and Directo al Paladar suggests serving it in deep bowls with good bread as a first course. Start soaking the salt cod a day or two ahead, or use fresh cod or hake on short notice.