Marcella Hazan's Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup

More patience.

Less anxiety.

More seizing-the-day, more exploration, more adventure.

Less routine, less ruts.

Oh, and more vegetables.

* * *

New year, new resolutions. Every January rolls around and I feel mildly twitchy and on edge about any number of things I'm meant to be improving Right Now (the state of my cuticles, the number of times a week I find myself gyrating to a hopped-up 80's music in a class full of other Spandex-clad ladies, the amount of letters I hand-write to my acquaintances, and my determination to make this year the year I finally join a choir).

I try not to get too caught up in the clean slate, fresh page thing, but it's hard. After a month of excess - too many truffles from gift baskets at the office, too much alcohol from one too many holiday parties, too many heavy meals that mark each celebration at the end of the year - it seems a given that January become an ascetic month. Early-to-bed, early-to-rise, frequent visits to the gym, main-course meals made of nothing but plants, and wholesale rejection of anything sweet... oh, it's all so dour.

(Except that while I was in Brussels with my family, eating meal after meal of amazing vegetables (my Sicilian uncle, man, he has his sources - boiled broccoli rabe, braised artichokes (every day!) filled with seasoned breadcrumbs, tender slices of raw fennel, and spunky little puntarelle (which sparked a discussion about the various kinds of endive/chicory were best and things got a little heated, I won't lie, because people have their favorites and you can't go around impugning someone's favorite green, you really can't), just to name a few, I realized that, if vegetables are as delicious as the things I ate there, it's not exactly deprivation.)

(Swear to God and I hope that doesn't make me a total nerd.)

(Tragically, and somewhat predictably, the fare available to me at my local Key Foods, and (to be honest) even at the somewhat more upscale organic grocer in my neighborhood is a pale, pale comparison to the tasty shoots and leaves we ate in Europe. Everything there was sweeter, greener, more tender, more flavorful. Why? I don't know. It just was. And I promise it's not because someone else was cooking either.)

(Okay, enough of this.)

In Berlin last week, I appalled some friends by admitting that Ben and I routinely polish off an entire head of cabbage in one sitting. I was thinking, specifically, of Marco Canora's braised cabbage, but then the other night, fueled by Marcella Hazan's urging and my determination (my trousers, they are snug), I turned an entire head of Savoy cabbage into soup and - zing! - it was gone in a minute. Hey, presto! Think of it as my version of the cabbage soup diet. (Ba-da bing.)

It's so much richer, though, and delicious than it sounds. You shred cabbage and braise it within an inch of its life with a bit of vinegar (a Venetian treatment, this is). Then you take the whole lot of it (I know, it's rather wan. But so tasty!) and boil it with broth and rice into a soupy, sludgy stew. You beat butter and Parmesan into it, kind of like with risotto, let it sit for a few minutes and then you eat it.

It fulfills quite a few January requirements - some low, slow cooking; a goodly amount of vegetables and just a wee bit of fat; and has the stick-to-your-ribs quality that you simply need when the wind howls around the corners and your pipes threaten to freeze. It's not much to look at, that's true, but who said January was pretty, anyhow?

Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
Serves 2 if that's all you're having for dinner

Smothered Cabbage:

2 pounds Savoy cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

1. Detach and discard the first few outer leaves of the cabbage. Shred the remaining head of cabbage very fine, either with your food processor's shredding attachment or by hand. Be sure to remove the cabbage's inner core.

2. Put the onion and olive oil and a large saute pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the onion, stirring, until it's softened and taken on some color. Then add the garlic. When the garlic has turned a pale gold, add the shredded cabbage. Turn the cabbage over 2 or 3 times to coat it well, and cook it until it has wilted.

3. Add salt, pepper, and the vinegar to the pan. Turn the cabbage over once, completely, then lower the heat to minimum and cover the pan tightly. Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until it is very tender, stirring from time to time. Add 2 tablespoons of water, if needed, during the cooking if the cabbage becomes too dry. When done, taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Allow it to settle a few minutes off heat before serving.

Soup:

The smothered cabbage
3 cups homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups of water or 1 1/2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 cups of water
2/3 cup Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the cabbage and broth into a soup pot, and turn on the heat to medium.

2. When the broth comes to a boil, add the rice. Cook, uncovered, adjusting the heat so that the soup bubbles at a slow but steady boil, stirring from time to time until the rice is done. It must be tender, but firm to the bite, and should take around 20 minutes. If while the rice is cooking, you find the soup becoming too thick dilute it with a ladleful of homemade broth or water. The soup should be on the dense-ish side when finished.

3. When the rice is done, before turning off the heat, stir in the butter and the grated cheese. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual plates and allow it to settle a few minutes before serving.

Comments

[Leah]

Oooh yum. I am battling a cold (it's sweeping the west coast, apparently), and boy does this look like it would be just the thing! It's good to have you back, lady. xo

[EB]

That would be such a warm and comforting way to combat this crazy storm! I hope your New Year brings you everything you could want.

Erin

[RA]

Ohh, I love cabbage, but it belongs to my husband's mysterious category of Things He Will Not Consider Eating. How long would it take a petite girl to finish this? Four lunch-y servings, maybe? Or would this not reheat well?

[kickpleat]

whoa, this looks like pure comfort, through and through! i'm bookingmarking this for future use.

[Dara]

Oooh, I love this one! I used to make it all the time years ago when I was learning how to cook, when I was obsessed with risotto and thus with Arborio rice. I made it again recently, and yes, it is as warm and cozy as your favorite cashmere sweater. It didn't feel like penance to me, though I might have snuck in some extra butter...

Warm wishes for ALL your dreams in 2008!

[Hillary]

This looks DELICIOUS! I have never once encountered a cabbage soup I liked - they're always too sweet for me, but I should really try this one out.

[Melanie]

I love cabbage cooked various ways, except for cabbage soup for some reason (maybe because I think of the soup as diet food). Anyway, this looks like another delicous way to enjoy cabbage - thanks for the recipe.

[Mercedes]

Don't you just love that people are so passionate about greens- that is what America needs, more passion about greens. Then maybe our produce situation wouldn't be so abominable. Which it is, especially New York's- poor people in 3rd world countries have better produce than New Yorkers, and I'm not joking.

And I think I could probably polish off most of a head of cabbage on my own, so don't feel sheepish about it in the slightest.

[Julie]

Your Sicilian uncle made you braised artichokes every day? Your family takes mighty good care of you, girl!

[Pam]

Mmmm...smothered cabbage on a cold January night? Yes. Arborio rice? Yes! With butter and grated cheese? Oh, this might be worth making homemade meat broth for. Thanks for this. I admire Marcella Hazan but, chances are, I probably would have never stumbled across this on my own.

[Luisa]

Leah - it's good to be back! Happy New Year to you, my dear.

EB - ohh, hope you're staying warm and safe over there...

RA - this is one of those fantastic things that I think probably tastes much better the next days. You could probably do it for four lunches, absolutely! Or also, it seems like it would freeze quite nicely...

kickpleat - yes, quite!

Dara - and same to you! Thanks.

Hillary - it's funny, cabbage does have a lot of natural sweetness now that you mention it. But I think this soup has a good balance of hearty flavors, too.

Melanie - yes, think of it more like a soupy risotto or a stewy soup. :)

Julie - I know, right? Whee! Delicious.

Pam - you're so welcome!

[Victoria]

Happy New Year dear Luisa. I hope 2008 is a year that all your dreams come true. This dish sounds really good. Do tell what you used for the broth. Do you ever make Marcella's broth? I got the Elements of Cooking, and it's hard to read it without thinking I must make veal stock, I truly must, but somehow the real desire to do it always eludes me. I once made Judy Rodger's chicken stock (with a chicken that still had it's head and feet attached) and a good thing it was to have frozen in one-cup increments in the freezer. But beef - or veal - I've never done. Et tu?

[ann]

cabbage & vinegar are two tastes that taste great together! at least in my book. I have (have!) to make this. Isaac and I are prone to having 5 or 6 different kinds of cabbage in a day (seriously). This would make a nice change away from the Eastern European preparations we favor. Thanks :)

[Yosha]

I've wanted to do something with cabbage but nothings tempted me...till now.

One question though, I wonder if this can be done in a slow cooker on high once the initial cabbage cooking is done?

Thanks!

Yosha

P.S Love your blog and your writing style!

[izzy's mama]

Love Marcella Hazan and have been cooking her recipes for years. Such simple brilliant cooking. I could use a cabbage cure myself right about now so I might just make that!

[steamy kitchen]

Hey there! I live about 15 miles from the Hazans, and have yet to try any of her recipes.

(hangs head in shame)

But 08 will be different! I will venture more outside of Asian foods!

[Luisa]

Mercedes - I know! It's outrageous. It really gets my blood boiling, actually.

Victoria - happy New Year to you! I have never made veal stock - only chicken... I think you should do it! Think of the possibilities :)

Ann - I love it: 5 to 6 kinds! You are our kind of people :)

Yosha - Thanks! I don't know how to use a slow cooker, so I'm not entirely sure... The nice thing about the pan is that some of the cabbage just barely caramelizes, which wouldn't happen in a slow-cooker because of all the moisture... But that extra sweetness and color is really delicious. Sooo, I don't know.

Izzy's Mama - isn't she the best? Love love love her books.

Jaden - ha! Well, it's the other way around for me: this year I'm pledging to cook more Asian food. :)

[Polina]

Well, this stew sure doesn't win any aesthetic awards! I made it because I know my husband loves cabbage-y food, and I have to admit that it really tasted wonderful! Very easy to make as well. Thank you for the recipe. I think something like carrots would taste nice with this soup and would also add some color (which is sorely lacking! :-)).

[loulou]

That is one of our favorite recipes from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. It is fantastic comfort food, but no, not very pretty to look at!

[abby]

It's cold and rainy tonight in Bklyn so I'm trying this but with paella rice instead of arborio (because I already have some). They're similar, so hopefully it will turn out OK...

[eileen]

i've made this amazing recipe twice in the last week. Both times I used chicken stock and the second time I added pancetta with the onions. Thanks for the recipe you rocked our world

[DanGarion]

That looks pretty good. I won't be able to make it personally since my wife probably wouldn't want to try it, but I'm going to forward this one to my mother in law and maybe she will cook it so I can try it.

I'm trying to determine if I can actually get a savoy cabbage here in Southern California, do you know if this would work even with just a regular green cabbage? Or is that too waxy?

[Luisa]

Dan - you could absolutely make this with plain green cabbage, or even red - Marcella says so ;) (Ben's sister makes it with red all the time.)

[Sean]

This recipe is delicious and so comforting on a winter day! Felt like risotto since I was using arborio and finishing with parm (had to up it to half a cup actually) and butter.

[Tea]

I made this tonight--coming off three days of a nasty, nasty cold/flu thing and wanting something comforting and a little more complex than toast and tea. It was wonderful, homey and filling without being too much (I skipped the butter and parm even). It's the first thing I've been excited to eat in three days, and that's saying a lot!

[Gifts to Chennai]

Delicious collections.Wish you a Happy New year beforehand n Christmas eve too.

[Koren]

I just made this soup yesterday - delicious! I used chicken broth instead of beef and Pecorino instead of Parmesan and it was divine! (Oh and green cabbage instead of savoy) It really does feel like more cabbage risotto than soup, which is fine by me.

[Emily]

I made this months ago, and am just getting around to tell you how right you were and how very very much I love it.