Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cabbage Soup


I used to watch my mother cook when I was a kid. I found out very quickly that she didn't always use recipes. Instead, she would add a pinch of this, a sprinkle of that, and a squirt of something else. Her instruction to me was to pay attention to what she was doing.

Well, I watched, I smelled, I tasted, and yet there's just some things you can't duplicate. Oh, you'll get close and it will taste good, but it just won't taste the same. My mother's spaghetti sauce is one of those things and this cabbage soup is another.

Now, over the years, I've made this recipe, measuring things out just so to try and get it right. At the same time, I've also added in my own flair and adapted my mother's method of throwing in a little of this and a little of that. It's a compromise, the best of both worlds so to speak. While it may not be my mother's, it is still very good.

Cabbage Soup (more or less like my mother's)

3 (8 oz.) cans no-salt added tomato sauce
4 1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
garlic powder
squirt of ketchup
splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. all-purpose seasoning (or to taste)
cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt, pepper
6 c. cabbage, thinly sliced

Combine all the ingredients except for the cabbage in a large pot over high heat. Season the soup to your taste. Bring it to a boil, then add in the cabbage. Lower the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for at least 30 min. until the cabbage is cooked through and soft.

This recipe is linked to:
A Prairie Story's "Recipe Swap Thursday"
Vegetarian Foodie Fridays
Family Food Fridays
EKat's Kitchen's "Friday Potluck"
My Sweet and Savory's "Meatless Mondays"

37 comments:

  1. I've never seen a tomato-y cabbage soup before! I've always been too afraid to make my own, but I may have to try this.

    By the way, I wanted to let you know that on Monday this week I tried out your brigadeiro recipe and we LOVED IT!! I linked back to you, too. Thanks for the yummy dessert!

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  2. Very hearty and homely cooking. Must try cooking this one day.

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  3. What a great soup especcially now in the fall season! Thanks for posting this Lisa.

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  4. I love cabbage soup, any variety is good to me. My Mom cooks the same way. You are so right, some you just can't duplicate but you can try.

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  5. Looks great - and when do we get the spaghetti sauce recipe??? :) I LOVE spaghetti. I'm the same way with cooking too - I throw in a pinch of this and that until it's just right. A lot of tasting as I go. :)
    Big Fat Mama

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  6. I don't think I've ever had cabbage soup...it looks yummy! Great dish for cool weather!

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  7. I think this sounds really yummy, I am going to try it. Thanks for your nice comments!

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  8. I cook an awful lot like your mom - following a recipe is so hard! Hmm, I haven't had cabbage soup in forever, this makes my stomach growl!

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  9. That sounds like a mighty healthy soup. I love the bright red colour!

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  10. Oh I love coming across different recipes! Yummy!

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  11. This looks yummy and comforting! I don't cook cabbage much, but a tried and true recipe is the only way to go! Looks wonderful! Thanx!

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  12. This sounds so healthy and tasty!

    With regards to your mom's version... That's one of the things I love about cooking. You can give 10 cooks the same exact recipe, line the finished products on a table and taste each one, and they will all taste subtly different based on the person that cooked it.

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  13. This sounds wonderful! As someone of Polish heritage, I will definitely be giving this dish a try. :-)

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  14. I love cabbage!! Usually it's just simply steamed but trying it in soup sounds great!

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  15. This soup sounds to great! Definitely love the color and the flavors in there!

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  16. I love soup! Yours sounds healthy and delicious!

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  17. This soup is a great way to get cabbage into my family. Looks comforting and tasty.

    Plan B

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  18. I love cabbage soup and your recipe looks very good. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

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  19. Looks delish :)

    I'm now following you back.

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  20. Great healthy soup!!!

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  21. I love cabbage soup but I have never tasted a tomato based one. I'm going to have to try this. It looks warming and perfect just coming into fall.

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  22. What a delicious sounding soup!

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  23. I have never tried a tomato cabbage soup - and this sounds spectacular. What a lovely looking recipe - thanks for bringing to Friday Potluck this week!

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  24. this sounds so yummy, love to try it...hope hubby will love it too! happy weekend! :)

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  25. Oh I love cabbage soup! It was one of my favorites, growing up. We like to put sliced carrot in ours. Thanks for sharing!

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  26. I am very intrigued by your soup. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. Yum! Thanks for linking up at Vegetarian Foodie Fridays!

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  27. This looks great, very beautiful color. Cabbage and tomatoes are a natural pairing, and taste great together.

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  28. I cook very much like your mom, it's one of the hardest things about blogging recipes. I have to write down what I throw in as I go. The soup looks delicious, thanks for linking up at Family Food Fridays. :)

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  29. I am bookmarking this, it sounds delicious!!!

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  30. Yum, I LOVE a good cabbage soup, and this looks fabulous! Thanks for sharing.

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  31. This sounds really good. I have never had cabbage soup but this sounds like something that the Mr. and I would enjoy. I know what you mean about recreating recipes. I tried to recreate my grandmothers pizza recipe and even though it is close, it just isn't the same.

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  32. I took one look, printed this and I am off to the kitchen to make it. That is real inspiration. Thanks for linking this to My Meatless Mondays.

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  33. I used to make a very similar soup back in the day. However, I made it in ridiculous quantities (used half of a giant cabbage) and over-spiced it. Those were the days.

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  34. YUM! I love cabbage in soup so I can't wait to try this one out. Thanks!!

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  35. I have a cabbage soup recipe but much different than this.

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