Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup

 

The recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from a delicious soup recipe I found in the book, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen.  It is a book I recently bought on my kindle. I had her original Classic Italian Cookbook which I got way back when.  It went all the way over to the U.K. with me and unfortunately got left behind when I came back to Canada.

I can remember cooking an Italian dinner for four from it back in the early 1980's. Once a month my next-door neighbor and myself would cook a special dinner for four to share.  One month I did an Italian theme, and every recipe I cooked came from that book. 

As soon as I saw this recipe for Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup the memories came flooding back. I believe this was the soup I had cooked as one of the courses for that dinner.  It was delicious then and I so wanted to recreate it now, using all of the experience I have gleaned over the past 40+ years.

 

I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe in half.  It was every bit as delicious as I remembered it being. Maybe even more so. 

 

Simple ingredients, cabbage, onion, garlic, a good olive oil, butter, cheese, a good stock. some rice. Seasoning. That is basically all you need.  Essentially very simple ingredients, but also good quality and fresh ingredients.

You begin by making smothered cabbage, which is a delicious side dish in and of itself.  Once done, a few simple ingredients are added to it to make one of the most delicious soups you could ever want to make and eat.  Truly.

If you make only one soup this week, I hope that it is this one. I can promise you; you will not regret it. It's quite simply fabulous! You don't want to pass this one by. I guarantee even the stoutest hater of cabbage will enjoy it.  The cabbage melts in the mouth.  This is a rich and flavorful soup that all will enjoy.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RICE AND SMOTHERED CABBAGE SOUP

The simplicity of the ingredients called for belies the fabulous nature of this spectacular soup! This is a small batch recipe.

For the Smothered Cabbage:

• 1 pound (454g) green, red, or savoy cabbage (I used the hard white/green)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 TBS chopped garlic
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS wine vinegar, white or red

For the soup:

• Smothered cabbage (as above)
• 3 cups (720ml) good chicken stock
• 1/3 cup (70g) rice (I used long grain, but arborio was suggested)
• 1 TBS butter
• 3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

I used a white cabbage, also called green in some places. It is a hard cabbage with tightly coiled leaves. Other varieties are not widely available where I live.

This is one recipe where you will want to use extra virgin olive oil.  I normally don't use it for cooking but in a recipe such as this with simple ingredients, the flavor of a good olive oil is not going to get lost.

I used a good white wine vinegar. 

I used chicken stock, but you could also use a beef stock, just be sure to use a well flavored stock that is not too salty. If you have homemade stock, so much the better.

The original recipe called for arborio rice. I did not have any so I just used long grain rice. It worked out fine.

Grate your own Parmesan cheese if possible.

 

HOW TO MAKE RICE AND SMOTHERED CABBAGE SOUP

This might seem a bit involved as you have to make the smothered cabbage first.  It can all be done in one day certainly, but I suggest doing the cabbage the day before and putting the soup together on the day you want to eat it. Neither process is very difficult at all.  

Start by making the smothered cabbage. (I started mine the day before and kept it in the fridge overnight.)

Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut out and remove the core completely and discard. Using a sharp knife cut the cabbage into very fine shreds.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions achieve a deep golden-brown color. Add the garlic. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the cabbage, turning it to coat it in the oil. Cook, turning it over frequently, until it has wilted and begun to soften. Add the vinegar. Cover tightly. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for at least 1 1/2 hours until very tender. Give it a stir every now and then. If it is cooking dry, add a bit of water as needed.

  

When done taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. This can be served as is as a delicious side dish or used to make the soup.

If you are making ahead of time, remove to a container and refrigerate until needed.

To make the soup, put the cabbage and the broth into a stock pot. (I did not use all of the cabbage as it would have been too much. I used only about half.)

Place over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the rice.

 

Cook, uncovered, adjusting temperature as needed so as to keep it at a gentle simmering and steady boil. Cook for about 20 minutes. Stir from time to time. If you think it is getting too thick add another ladle of stock.

When rice is done, stir in the butter and the cheese, stirring it all through the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve hot, ladled into soup bowls with a grating of additional cheese on top.

 

This, for all of the simple ingredients used, was quite simply the most delicious soup I have ever eaten. It was truly amazing. You wouldn't think that such a simple thing would taste as good as this did, but you would be wrong.

This is probably the best, most delicious, pot of soup I have ever cooked and that is no lie or exaggeration.  Well worth any effort or time taken. Truly. It you skip past this one you are truly missing out on something wonderful.

 

With the cold winds, snows and temperatures of January we want to fill our bellies with a heart delicious and warming soup. Here are a few other favorite soup recipes that we enjoy! These really hit the spot!

PEA SOUP WITH SHARP CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS - Deliciously hearty, filling and satisfying.  Picture a bowl of your favorite pea soup with a nice fluffy cheddar dumpling floating in the middle.  You're welcome!

LITTLE MEATBALL SOUP - It's amazing what you can do with a package of macaroni, a tin of tomatoes, some stock cubes and a pound of Italian sausage!! This deliciously hearty soup is fantastic ladled into heated bowls and topped with a smattering of good quality grated cheese!  Some garlic toast on the side would be great! 

Yield: 2 - 3 people

Author: Marie Rayner

Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup

This is the most delicious soup I have ever made. It goes together in two parts. First the smothered cabbage, which is amazing in its own right and then the soup. It is well worth the effort and the wait.

Ingredients

For the Smothered Cabbage:

• 1 pound (454g) green, red, or savoy cabbage (I used the hard white/green)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 TBS chopped garlic
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS wine vinegar, white or red

For the soup:

• Smothered cabbage (as above)
• 3 cups (720ml) good chicken stock
• 1/3 cup (70g) rice (I used long grain, but arborio was suggested)
• 1 TBS butter
• 3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Start by making the smothered cabbage. (I started mine the day before and kept it in the fridge overnight.)
2. Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut out and remove the core completely and discard. Using a sharp knife cut the cabbage into very fine shreds.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions achieve a deep golden-brown color. Add the garlic. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
4. Add the cabbage, turning it to coat it in the oil. Cook, turning it over frequently, until it has wilted and begun to soften. Add the vinegar. Cover tightly. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for at least 1 1/2 hours until very tender. Give it a stir every now and then. If it is cooking dry, add a bit of water as needed.
5. When done taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. This can be served as is as a delicious side dish or used to make the soup.
6. If you are making ahead of time, remove to a container and refrigerate until needed.
7. To make the soup, put the cabbage and the broth into a stock pot. (I did not use all of the cabbage as it would have been too much. I used only about half.)
8. Place over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the rice.
9. Cook, uncovered, adjusting temperature as needed so as to keep it at a gentle simmering and steady boil. Cook for about 20 minutes. Stir from time to time. If you think it is getting too thick add another ladle of stock.
10. When rice is done, stir in the butter and the cheese, stirring it all through the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. Serve hot, ladled into soup bowls with a grating of additional cheese on top.

Did you make this recipe?

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