You may remember a little while back when I was soliciting cabbage recipes. I got some excellent suggestions and I'm really glad of that because judging from how much cabbage is still left, after cole slaw and a giant pot of soup, we're going to be eating cabbage for a very long time still! The first recipe I'd like to share with you is a cabbage soup. It seems like there are about as many recipes for cabbage soup as there are heads of cabbage in the world and I've made many of them. This one, while definitely tasty, is not my favorite but I'd still recommend it. Despite there being a huge amount of cabbage in it, the focus isn't on the cabbage. There are so many other things going on here that you could easily focus on something else entirely if cabbage isn't exactly your thing - the sweet and smoky sausage, the hearty white beans, the slightly thick tomato-y broth...
Cabbage and White Bean Soup with Sausage
adapted from Bon Appetit
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces fully cooked chicken-apple sausages (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
- 4 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and sauté for a few minutes then transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to same pot and heat over medium heat. Add leeks and carrots and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, parsley, and stir for about a minute until everything is nicely combined. Add broth, sausage-cabbage mixture, and beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This was delicious the night I made it, but possibly even better the next day or two. All told, I think this fed the two of us at least 4 or 5 meals each.
This is the cabbage still left:
