MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - HEARTY CABBAGE SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND POTATOES

One from my old blog today that I am thinking of making now. This is from January 2010.

I saw this recipe on a food blog called "A Smart Mouth". The link I provided no longer works after checking.

When I made it back then it was also a snow day. We woke up to a couple of inches, not nearly as bad as another snow two weeks before this one, but enough to keep me from wanting to go out, and I was in the mood to spend time in the kitchen. The aroma that wafts through the house is very welcoming. I usually get a "Wow, that smells great! What are we having for dinner?"

Today it is: 

Hearty Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

Serves 10 to 12 people

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Vidalia Onion, 1/2 inch dice (5 cups)

3 large cloves garlic, minced (3 tablespoons)

1 large green cabbage, cored and chopped in 1 inch dice (18-20 cups)

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed but not peeled, 1 inch dice

1-1/2 pounds cooked Andouille or other pork sausage, cut into 1/4 inch coins

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can tomato paste

8 cups chicken broth, homemade if possible or two 4-cup cartons of low sodium chicken broth)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary (about 4 inch sprig), fresh or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sea salt

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium low. Add the olive oil. Sauté sausage until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

A note about the sausage that was in the recipe, if you would like to use another sausage, try to find a high quality, sturdy pork sausage that has some heat, or your preferred. You can also use less sturdy or raw sausages, but you will want to handle in the following manner. 

If it is the cooked sausage cut into coins, brown it in a pan on each side for 5 minutes, set aside. 

If it is raw sausage, cook whole in a pan on medium until done in the center and browned on the outside. For cooking time, I would use the instructions on the packet, then cut into coins and set aside. 

In both cases, add the sausage 5 minutes before the soup is done to prevent it from falling apart. 

Add the onion and garlic, sauté until they begin to soften. 

Stir in the cabbage and potatoes.

Put on the lid and cook for about 5 minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt.

Making the roux: Put the tomato paste in a small bowl with 1 cup stock and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Stir 1/2 cup flour into the vegetables. Stir it in completely until there is no trace of flour left.

Add the wine. Stir.

Add the tomato paste. Stir.

Add the broth. Stir.

Season and simmer: add the paprika, sugar, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and salt. Stir.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. If it is too thick for your liking, add 2 more cups of either water or broth, and return to a slow boil for 5 minutes more. 

Taste and adjust seasonings. 

The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to one month.

I served this soup with a crusty baguette the first time. The second time I made cheese straws which you can find here at Blue Ridge Baker's blog (link still works). They were great. Hubs decided to break his up like regular crackers and put them into the soup. They were very good that way.

We have also added a few dashes of the above hot sauce which I can get at most supermarkets. It makes it extra hot and spicy. If you use I would add it sparingly. Soup also tastes great without.

I had to smile at this old photo of our fridge. It broke down too many times, threw up its hands finally and would work no more. We bought a new fridge that would not take a magnet. I didn't know this and missed the old magnets, but it was very nice to have a new fridge.

My mother was a collector of them and so was I. Some we have picked up on our travels and some are from friends who gave us ones from theirs. I also have a few photos in frame-magnets. Now the special ones are in storage boxes, but most have been given away. 

I hope you like this old recipe. It's been a long time since I made it. The ingredients are on our shopping list now. Might change the sausage to turkey this time, or even go without any protein. We could add beans instead. I think that would be nice. I will have to swing that one by my dear other half. Most of the time our tastes are the same, other times we work around it.

Thanks for looking, have a great day and...