Saturday, October 3, 2009

Cabbage, potato, and sausage soup recipe

cabbage, potato, and sausage soup, adapted from Karina's Kitchen
From the time I was 10 until I left for college, I never had to go outside or check the weather to know that it was fall.  As soon as the cooler temperatures arrived, my dog, Rascal, would run around and bounce all over the place.  It was great entertainment, but unfortunately I haven't been home during fall in a long time (although I have a feeling that she's not as crazy as she once was, given that she's 15 now).  But, I can relate.  There's something about the crisp air and beautiful colors that slaps a silly grin on my face and gives me an extra boost of energy.  I don't usually get to the point where I'm running around in circles, but it's tempting sometimes!

However, I fear what follows falls.  It's already getting colder than I like, and I have to keep reminding myself that this will be my last winter here.  We had our first freeze on Wednesday night, and since then all I want to eat is bowl after bowl of soups, stews, and chilis.  I thought it was only natural to make a soup from the cabbage and potatoes out of my CSA share.

This might be my new favorite soup.  It was delicious the first time, and got better and better over the next few days.  It warmed me up and fills me up, which are my two most important soup characteristics.  My sausage is fairly spicy, so it provided a lot of flavor for the soup.  If you use a milder sausage (or no meat), you might want to season it a bit more.  This will definitely be making an appearance for St. Patrick's Day, but I'm not sure that I can wait that long to have more.  I'm seriously considering making it again this week.

Cabbage, potato, and sausage soup (adapted from Karina's Kitchen)
(Printable version)

6 oz. spicy sausage, sliced thinly
3 leeks, sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
12 small red potatoes, cut into small chunks
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the sausage over medium heat in a large pot.  Add the leeks and cook until they soften (about 3 min).  Add the garlic and cabbage and continue to cook until the cabbage begins to get tender (about 7 min), stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45 min (or until the potatoes and carrots are very tender).  Serves 4.

6 comments:

K Allrich said...

I am so happy you *get* this soup. It's absolutely meant for simple comfort. And I couldn't agree more regarding the spicy sausage. Yes.

Mornings here have been so chilly. I need to make a pot of this. xox

FeistyCelt said...

This sounds, yummy! I think I will make this tomorrow, as I (coincidentally) have all the ingredients!

kellypea said...

This soup is so close to a soup I grew up with it's amazing. We didn't use sausage, but I'll definitely try it now. Ours included fresh green beans. Lots and lots of them. Yum!

Katie said...

Karina - This is my type of cooking (especially at this time of year). Sometimes I try using complex flavors, but it's always the simple and delicious that I love most.

Jennifer - That's one of the things I love most about this recipe - I almost always have everything on hand. Hope you enjoy!!

kellypea - I'm really intrigued by the green beans, and I might throw some in next time. Thanks for the idea!

potlikker said...

this is the first nice fall day, and the 'indicator' is working fine! She is feeling good and ready to roll.

Your mother says the food is good too [??]

Katie said...

Dad - I'm very glad to hear that Ras still gets invigorated! Hopefully she'll save some energy for Thanksgiving so that I can see it too.