Red Cabbage Soup

As I am writing this, I am officially one hour into being fully vaccinated. In preparation for my impending second dose scaries, I wanted to make a good soup, something that would fill me up and that I wouldn’t have to think about. Browsing The Classic Italian Cookbook I came upon this recipe. In it’s preface Hazan writes that “This is as much a pork-and-beans dish as it is a cabbage soup, and…develops an even better flavor when warmed up one or two days later” (78). So, of course I had to make it. I am a big fan of red cabbage, I have memories of eating big bowls of it raw laying on my bedroom floor when I was a kid. The hearty combination of cabbage, beans, pork sausage, and beef broth, makes for a perfect healing and fortifying dish, exactly what I need. I made this last night and ate some after I got vaccinated, and I can attest that if possible, it is even better when its warmed up the next day.

RECIPE

From The Classic Italian Cookbook pages 78- 80

• 1/4 pound fresh pork rind
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons thinly shredded pancetta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound shredded red cabbage
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons canned Italian tomato, drained and coarsely chopped
• A tiny pinch of thyme
• 3 cups homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned beef broth mixed with two cups water
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound luganega or other mild sausage
• 1 cup dried great northern beans or other white beans, cooked and drained or 1 twenty ounce can white kidney beans, cannellini, or other white beans, drained

Put the pork rind in a small sauce pan, cover by about 1 inch with cold water, and bring to a boil. After it has boiled for 1 minute, drain and allow to cool. Cut into strips about one inch 1/2 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long and set aside.

Put the garlic, onion, and pancetta in a stockpot with the oil and sauté on medium heat until the onion and garlic are very lightly colored.

Add the shredded cabbage, the chopped celery, the pork rind, the tomato, and a tiny pinch of thyme. Cook over medium low heat until the cabbage has completely wilted. Stir through from time to time.

When the cabbage has become soft, add the broth, two teaspoons salt, and pepper, cover the pot, and cook at very low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. This cooking may be one at various stages, spread over to or three days. In fact the soup acquires even better flavor when reheated in this manner.

Off the heat, uncover the pot, tilt is slightly, and draw off as much as possible of the fat that rises to the surface.

Brown the sausage in a small pan for 6 to 8 minutes over medium low heat. They need no other fat than that which they throw off, which you will discard after they are browned on all sides.

Return the pot to the burner and bring to a simmer. Add the brown sausages, drained of their fat. Purée half the cooked beans into the pot, and stir well. Cool and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining whole beans and correct for desired thickness by adding more homemade broth or water. Taste and correct for salt. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. (The soup may be entirely prepared ahead of time up to and including this point. Always return to a simmer before proceeding with the next step.)

Put the crushed garlic cloves and the oil in a small pan and sauté over lively heat until the garlic is nicely browned. Add the chopped rosemary, turn of the heat and stir two or three times. Pour the oil through a sieve into the soup pot, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes more. Serve with good crusty Italian or French bread.

Luganega:

• One cup white wine
• About 5 bay leaves
• 3 garlic coves
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon of coriander
• 2 teaspoons of allspice
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon pecorino romano
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
• One package ground pork

Put the garlic, bay, and wine in a saucepan and boil for 3-5 minutes. Pour the wine mixture through a mesh sieve onto the pork. Add the spices, cheese, and lemon and mix with your fingers.

Notes

They did not have any fresh pork rinds at the butcher and so I used some fatty pork neck bones instead. I could not get much good fat or meat off the bones but I did add a bone to the soup for some added flavor. It seems as though the pork rinds might be necessary for this dish. I also made my own luganega for this recipe and it made a huge difference. I added the recipe above. Feel free to be pretty loose with this recipe, adjusting to your taste.

Afterthoughts

This soup is so good. Incredibly hearty, it is fragrant and flavorful. The delicate perfumey notes from the sausage balance perfectly with the earthiness of the beans and cabbage. While I did not have any crusty bread on hand, it does pair very well with a buttery bagel. I have had two bowls over the past 24 hours and each time I have not been able to finish it with only a few bites left because it fills you up so fast and well. It is filling but it is not heavy, while most foods leave me feeling sick and bloated, this one has me full and energized. I have already made plans with my dad to make this next month when I’m home. I would totally recommend this dish to anyone who needs an energy pick me up and is willing to make the commitment to the cook time. Making the luganega sausage is a must for this dish, the complex winey flavors of the pork mixed with the lemon and coriander make the soup taste almost springy. Where this dish could be overpowered by the brown umami flavors in the pork rinds/bones, beef broth, and beans, the bright flavors from the sausage keep it from being weighed down. It is the perfect post vaccine pick me up.