Cabbage Soup for the Soul

After the holidays, and all the chocolate and cookies, I am really ready
to eat some healthy, low fat meals. This cabbage soup is fast, easy to
make and tasty, too. I would like to take all the credit, but I will have
to say the recipe came from Rachel Ray. It's perfect for a chilly winter
evening. Add some crusty bread and you've got a great little meal.
And if you've had one too many cookies last week like I did, skip the
bread and eat this soup with no guilt. It's good for the soul.


Cabbage Soup


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ham steak, chopped
1 savoy cabbage, quartered, cored and shredded
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 cups cider
1/4 cup honey
1 (14 ounce) can white beans, drained
1 pound bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped dill
1 cup sour cream, to pass at table (optional)

Heat a soup pot over medium high heat with extra-virgin olive oil.
Add ham and lightly brown 2 to 3 minutes. Add shredded cabbage
and stir in the onions and carrots as you finish chopping and grating
them. Stir in the frozen hash browns and season the vegetables
liberally with salt and pepper. Add in a bay leaf, cider, honey, beans,
sauerkraut and chicken stock. Place a lid on the pot and bring soup to
a boil. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Stir in dill and adjust seasoning of soup. Serve the soup in shallow
bowls and top with sour cream.

photo by willow