Russian Cabbage Soup

I love a good hearty soup. It is my absolute favorite thing to eat. It’s always so comforting and soothing. But I never thought a cabbage soup would be so delicious until I had Russian Cabbage soup for the first time when I lived in Hong Kong. It might sound strange to discover Russian Soup in Hong Kong (or maybe it doesn’t sound strange because Hong Kong is closer to Russia) but that is where I first tried it. From a can too. And made by Campbells. Ever since then, I’d look for the cabbage soup on menus in restaurants all over Los Angeles, but it’s not an easy soup to find.

Over the course of the pandemic, I’ve been trying new recipes with all the time we have in quartantine. After 8 years since I returned to the U.S. from Hong Kong, I finally made Russian Cabbage Soup for the first time! It was pretty good but not perfect. I might have to make tweaks next time. Or maybe I just need to make it again without all the pressure of making it perfect the first time. In the middle of cooking and tasting and eating, it’s sometimes hard to tell. Sometimes I need to have a little distance from my cooking to know if it’s good enough or not. Anyway, this is the perfect soup for winter especially now that it’s starting to get cold. Hope you like it!

Russian Cabbage Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

·       1-1½ stewed beef cubes or sirloin steak cut up into large chunks

·       1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped

·       1 sweet yellow onion, diced

·       2 carrots, diced

·       2 celery sticks, diced

·       2 cans of beef broth

·       1 large can of San Marzano tomatoes

·       1 can of tomato sauce

·       ¼ cup of vinegar

·       ¾ - 1 cup of water

·       ½ - 1 tsp salt

·       ¼ tsp black pepper

·       3½ tbsp sugar

·       parsley, chopped (optional for garnishing)

Directions:

In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté onions until brown.  Add carrots and celery.  Cook for a few minutes.

Lower heat to medium.  Add beef and cabbage.  Sprinkle in salt and pepper.  Pour in beef broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Cover pot with lid, leaving a little room for steam to be released.  Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Once the mixture starts to bubble up, lower heat to medium low.

Add vinegar and sugar.  Stir soup and cook for another 30 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.