St. Patrick’s Day Is Nearly Upon Us- Let’s Eat!

Try a new twist on the fabulous Irish Cabbage Soup, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Susan’s grandmother made the best sweet and sour stuffed cabbage. So when her mom wanted sweet and sour cabbage soup, Susan deconstructed her Nana’s recipe and a warm and comforting cabbage soup was born!

Nana’s Deconstructed Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Serves 8-10

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 pound chopped beef

2 stalks celery, diced

15 ounces diced tomatoes fresh or canned

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1 medium green or savoy cabbage, cored and shredded

8 cups stock

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 small tart apples, diced

½ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dill weed

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion until translucent, stirring as needed.

2. Add beef and sauté until browned, stirring frequently.

3. Add celery, tomatoes, carrots and cabbage. Sauté 5 minutes.

4. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

5. Lower heat and simmer covered until cabbage and vegetables are soft.

6. Add mushrooms, apples and raisins. Simmer for 15 minutes or until apples are soft. Add brown sugar, lemon juice and dill weed.

7. Serve hot with hearty rye or multi-grain bread. Soup freezes well.

Substitutions
Vegan: Use vegan stock. Omit beef.
Vegetarian: Use vegetarian stock. Omit beef.
Allium Free: Omit onions and leek. Substitute 1 bulb fennel diced.
Diabetic: Use 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Truvia in place of brown sugar. Omit or use a small amount raisins.

Tip
Save cores of cabbage and onion and leftover bits of vegetables in a freezer zip lock bag. When the stock bag is full, add to pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add favorite herbs such as thyme, sage, parsley or dill. Simmer until all vegetables are tender. Cool and strain out vegetables and herbs.  Salt, pepper and season to taste. Use stock or freeze for later use.

Get more great recipes at everydayhappyfoods

Be sure to stop by “Foodie Lit”  with Susan Weintrob

Each month, I’ll share the magic of a good foodie lit read and one of its recipes. Share your favorite Foodie Lit reads, become a guest blogger and send me your suggestions.

Cooking and recipes in novels or memoirs take us into the mind of the character or narrator and brings us into the book’s kitchen to see, smell and share the lives within.

Here’s to cooking and reading together!

Susan