Julie’s Hungarian Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Soup
Makes around 6 servings | Prep Time 15 minutes | Cook Time 30 minutes
Here’s a big shout-out to my soup sister, Julie Burford, for creating an insanely good brew. Cabbage soups have been a staple of Eastern European cooking since way back when, and if you’re in my age bracket, you remember cabbage soup diets being all the rage back in the seventies and eighties. I’m not saying you should have this soup seven days in a row (though you could), but even one hit is enough to supercharge your system. Cabbage is a top detoxifying cruciferous vegetable, and Julie has really amped up the taste by creating a sweet-and-sour profile with coconut palm sugar (or maple syrup) playing off apple cider vinegar. Wow!
Instructions
Shred the cabbage in a food processor or slice it thinly with a knife.
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the cabbage and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the apple, caraway seeds, 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the vinegar, sugar, and 1⁄2 cup of broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the remaining 51⁄2 cups of broth, decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to
35 minutes, or until tender. Taste; you may want to add a pinch of salt or a few grinds of pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with a teaspoon of yogurt or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reprinted with permission from Clean Soups by Rebecca Katz
Ingredients
1 pound red cabbage, quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced Sea salt
1 unpeeled crisp red apple, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon caraway seeds Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or dark maple syrup
6 cups Magic Mineral Broth (page 35), Pastured Beef Bone Broth (page 43), or Nourishing Bone Broth (page 41)
2 tablespoons full-fat plain yogurt, for garnish