Ingredients
- 1/2 pound salt cod
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped in 1/2-inch sections
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
- 4 potatoes, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium carrot, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound pumpkin, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Soak the cod in cold water at least 24 hours in advance. Change the water, several times a day. Then cut in pieces.
- Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sauté leeks until they brown slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until they begin to take on a slight tan color, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Toss in potatoes, carrot, pumpkin, and cod pieces. Immediately, pour in enough water to cover, 4 to 5 cups. Add about 1 teaspoon salt or less to the water, as the cod might still contain salt. Bring soup to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes are the desired softness. Stir once or twice. Depending on the size of the potato pieces, simmer for 15 to 25 minutes.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve alone or with good bread.
- Two basic types of porrusalda exist, with and without cod. Excluding cod from the soup makes it no less genuine.
- Many cooks will not include garlic or sauté their leeks, and may stir in olive oil only at the end, into the nearly finished product. I find the simple steps of pan-frying the leeks and garlic add greatly to the flavor of these vegetables, as does the oil in the porrusalda.
