This creamy and subtly spicy vegetable soup recipe is perfect for cold weekdays or chilly weekends. Adapted from Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter, Southern cabbage soup is filling enough to be a light easy appetizers on its own served with some crusty bread, beans or rice. The chopped cabbage is sautéed in butter and onions and flavored with fennel seed and bay leaf then simmered in a stock of either chicken or vegetable. Carrots and apple are added to the appetizer recipes to give sweetness, color and flavor. Dry white wine gives the soup a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavor while nutmeg and cayenne give it an invigorating fragrance and spice. Evaporated milk is also added to the cabbage soup for a creamy finish, and finally, ground pepper rounds off the flavor.
Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 head of cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large carrot, shredded or minced
1 large apple, cored, peeled, and shredded or minced
1 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
2 cups evaporated milk, heated
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation Instructions
Place the butter in a 5 quart Dutch oven placed over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and saute until golden.
Add the cabbage, salt, fennel, and bay leaf. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat and add the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Add the carrot, apple, and wine. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and stir in the nutmeg, cayenne, and milk. Season with pepper.
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 head of cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large carrot, shredded or minced
1 large apple, cored, peeled, and shredded or minced
1 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
2 cups evaporated milk, heated
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation Instructions
Place the butter in a 5 quart Dutch oven placed over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and saute until golden.
Add the cabbage, salt, fennel, and bay leaf. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat and add the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Add the carrot, apple, and wine. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and stir in the nutmeg, cayenne, and milk. Season with pepper.