Making It Up!

[digitS']

DW is tired of my tomato soup. I've got no choice but to use the last of the greenies from the backyard that have now ripened.

She intends to make some use of the cabbage today. I think my tomato soup may go to the freezer and I'll try to adapt my Portuguese kale soup to cabbage as an ingredient. This may not work. How do I get cabbage tender enough for a soup?

I'm a little frustrated with recipes. I thought I'd figured out that Portuguese kale soup used white beans and fresh but spicy sausage. Internet searches finally led me to realize that I must be mistaken about the sausage. Hhmmm

I did some searches this morning using what is apparently the Portuguese name: Caldo Verda. Now, it appears I was also wrong about the beans! Every recipe I came across used potatoes!

Tough! I'm going for an adaptation ... border fusion cuisine. Right? Am I gonna make a fool outta myself with the cabbage? I'm thinking also of Egg-Drop soup but that uses Chinese cabbage.

Steve

 

[baymule]

Steve, recipes are a guideline ---- you don't really have to follow them. Use what you have and call it Steve's Special Soup!

 

[ninnymary]

I don't see why cabbage won't work. I use cabbage in my chicken soup.

Mary

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Cabbage soup is a favorite here. I don't think that there is anything that really needs to be done to get the cabbage tender enough, ma just chops it up and throws it in the pot.

 

[Lavender2]

Mom puts LOTS of cabbage in her vegetable beef soup. Like all the other vegetables, she dices it pretty small, cooks the soup several hours. It is the best soup in the world!

 

[digitS']

Yes but, doesn't cabbage get tougher the longer you cook it?

Maybe that's the answer: add shredded cabbage at the last minute...

Usually, we'd just put the sausage in the skillet and toss in the cabbage for a few minutes of cooking. Serve as a side dish. Oorrr, make cabbage rolls, steamed and put tomato sauce over them. I wonder if I can ... no, she's not going for any more tomatoes just yet.

Steve

 

[baymule]

Maybe you could tenderize that tough 'ol cabbage.........

 

[ninnymary]

Just chop your cabbage and it will be just fine, nice and tender. I can't believe I'm telling the "King of Soup" this.

Mary

 

[Lavender2]

Yum, I love cabbage rolls! Dh made them again last weekend.

Never had the cabbage in the soup get tough.

 

[digitS']

I have trouble growing cabbage, Mary. The aphids get in it so bad it can't be trusted. I'd almost be willing to grow none!

Just thinking that I missed having it steamed with a pat of butter and a squeeze of lime juice for Thanksgiving ...

I'd use Scotch kale with beef and barley but we are talking cabbage here. Hey, you know why Portuguese kale does better here than Collards? I think I've got this figured out ... I found that the traditional home for that soup is in the mountains of northern Portugal at about 41° North.

Okay, soup with cabbage, potatoes and my spicy breakfast sausage .

Steve