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Paul Steindler's Cabbage Soup

Source of Recipe

"The Essential New York Times Cookbook" by Amanda Hesser


Recipe Introduction

"Paul Steindler was a chef, ex-Olympic wrestler, and good friend of Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey. The soup's cabbage, bacon, and preponderance of caraway, all fundamental elements of Eastern European cooking, will make you want to drink vodka and eat plum cake. There, you've been warned. The caraway defines the soup, but the dashes of sugar and vinegar give it flair."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 cups finely sliced cabbage (about 1 pound)
â—¦ 1 cup finely diced bacon (about 6 ounces)
â—¦ ¾ cup finely chopped onion
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 4 cups chicken broth
â—¦ ½ cup peeled, finely diced carrots
â—¦ 1 â…“ cups finely diced potatoes
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed or pulverized
â—¦ 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
â—¦ 1 cup of heavy cream
â—¦ Whole milk, if needed
â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped dill


Recipe

Bring enough water to cover the cabbage when it is added to a boil in a large pot. Add the cabbage and cook for one minute. Drain.

Cook the bacon in a casserole or small pot over medium-low heat until rendered of fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until wilted. Sprinkle with the flour and stir. Add the broth, stirring rapidly with a wire whisk. When the mixture simmers, add the cabbage, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and the caraway seeds. Stir in the vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring often from the bottom up until the vegetables are just tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. This is a very rich, thick soup. If desired, you may thin it with a little milk. Serve in hot soup bowls, each serving sprinkled with dill.

Serves 6 to 8



• Note:
The original recipe called for 1 ½ cups heavy cream—1 cup was plenty.