Bright Red Cabbage, Beet and Herbed Sausage Soup
Healthy, Hearty Yet Money-Saving One-Dish Meal Recipe
Jan 24, 2009
“Soup is Good Food.” So said the old advertising slogan. Comfort food, too. Who doesn't smile at the memory of soup suppers at home?
If your family has roots in Germany, Poland or another central or eastern European country, your mom may have made a cabbage soup similar to this recipe.
When vegetable prices are rivaling meat prices, cabbage remains one of the most economical. Soups are meat-stretchers, too. As in most soups, meat, if included at all, is a condiment. This recipe serves six, so each serving only has 1/8 of a pound of meat in it, half what you would usually figure for a meat course.
The beets in this recipe add not only nutrition and flavor, but stunning color, too. You will want to showcase this soup in white or perhaps green bowls for contrast.
Red Cabbage, Beet and Herbed Sausage Soup
Yield: 6 servings
You will need: roasting pan, large saucepan with a lid
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds full-flavored herbed sausage (see Notes)
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 red or purple onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced parallel to the core
- 1 pound cooked beets, cut in 1-inch julienne strips
- 3 cups very finely shredded red cabbage
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2¼ quarts of beef stock (see Notes)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp each dry marjoram and thyme (or 2 tsp each fresh)
- 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup light cream
- snipped chives, sprigs of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (180 C.)
- Bake the sausages in the roasting pan, covered with foil, 45 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cut into ½-inch slices or cubes.
- In a large saucepan over medium flame, fry the onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the cream and garnish. Bring to a boil, reduce the flame and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are almost tender, about 45 minutes.
- Add the sausages to the pan and simmer 10 minutes more.
- When you're ready to serve. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Top with your choice of garnish.
Notes:
An incredible variety of sausages are available, and virtually any of them will work nicely in this recipe. Substitute your favorite, or use this recipe as an excuse to branch out with one you've been tempted to try.
Beef stock may be canned or made from concentrate. Or home-made, of course.
Go here to see more soups and stews, including:
- Cowboy Chili with Steak
- Belgian Beef Stew
- Boeuf Bourguignon - Beef Burgundy
- African Chicken and Peanut Soup
- Cheddar and Ale Soup
- Hoppin' John Chili with Black-Eyed Peas
- Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Broccoli and Toasted Hazelnut Soup au Gratin
- Bavarian Pilsner-Onion Soup
- Oregon Sharp Cheddar and Ale Soup
- Cioppino to Die For
- Turkey Minestra (from leftover roast turkey)
- Cream of Chicken with Wild Mushrooms (from leftover cooked chicken)
On a budget? Go here for more money-saving meal planning ideas.
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