Equipment
Ingredients
Saffron Infusion
- ⅛ g saffron threads
- 30 ml hot water, warm
Aromatics and Base
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 300 g leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and thoroughly washed
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 150 g fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Broth and Vegetables
- 400 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 1200 ml vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
- 1 bouquet garni
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Finishings
- 150 g fresh spinach, washed and tough stems removed
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1542 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 186 mg
- Potassium
- 1081 mg
- Calcium
- 178 mg
- Iron
- 7.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 93 mg
- Phosphorus
- 221 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 379 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 38 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 247 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.42 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 172 mcg
- Water
- 581 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small bowl, combine the saffron threads and warm hot water. Set aside to bloom for at least 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and fennel, and saute gently until they are softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not let them brown.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, which should take about 3 minutes.
Add the diced potatoes, vegetable broth, bouquet garni, and the bloomed saffron with its liquid. Season gently with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil at 100°C/212°F, then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer at 90°C/195°F. Cover partially and cook until the potatoes are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Stir the fresh spinach into the simmering broth and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Crack each egg into a small ramekin or cup. Create small wells in the vegetables using a wooden spoon and gently slide each egg directly into the simmering broth. Poach the eggs in the soup for 3 to 4 minutes at 85°C/185°F until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Ensure the yolks reach at least 71°C/160°F for food safety.
Carefully ladle the rich vegetable broth and vegetables into four shallow soup bowls. Use a slotted spoon to transfer one poached egg to the center of each bowl. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Blooming saffron in warm water before adding it to the pot ensures you extract the maximum amount of color and complex flavor from the expensive threads.
- Waxy potatoes are essential here, as they hold their shape during the simmering process, whereas starchy potatoes might disintegrate and turn the broth murky.
- To easily serve this to guests, you can poach the eggs separately in water with a dash of vinegar, keep them in cold water, and simply rewarm them in the hot soup right before serving.
- Serve this traditional soup alongside toasted slices of a crusty country baguette, generously rubbed with a raw garlic clove.
- Do not skip discarding the bouquet garni, as leaving thyme stalks or bay leaves in the final serving can be a choking hazard.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store soup base only. Poach fresh eggs when reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze soup base without eggs or spinach. Add spinach and eggs upon reheating.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop until simmering, then poach fresh eggs directly in the broth.
Troubleshooting
Eggs break apart and disperse cloudily into the broth
Cause: The soup was boiling too vigorously when the eggs were added, or the eggs were cracked directly from a height
Fix: Scoop out stray whites with a slotted spoon. Cannot completely fix cloudiness, but tastes identical.
Prevention: Ensure the broth is barely simmering, and slide eggs gently from a small cup just above the liquid surface
Leeks feel gritty or sandy
Cause: Dirt was trapped between the layers of the leeks
Fix: Cannot be fixed once integrated into the soup
Prevention: Slice leeks first, then agitate them in a large bowl of cold water, lifting them out so dirt remains at the bottom
Cultural Context
Originating from Marseille, Bouillabaisse Borgne translates playfully to one-eyed bouillabaisse. This moniker reflects its status as a humble, fisherman-style soup. When the daily catch was poor or too valuable to eat rather than sell, families would use the same iconic saffron and garlic broth base as standard bouillabaisse, replacing expensive seafood with hearty local vegetables and crowning the dish with poached eggs.
