Bess Feigenbaum's Cabbage Soup

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, girl, of course you're posting about cabbage soup. It's January 6th, for Pete's sake, and we're all supposed to be on the New Year, New You! plan. You know, the one in which, just two weeks after Christmas, you swear to get up early each morning to sweat at the gym, eat whole-grain hot cereal for breakfast and drink nothing but green tea and think soothing thoughts about everything and everyone for at least, shall we say, two weeks before collapsing in a heap and eating an entire bag of Cape Cod potato chips for dinner in front of the television.

But no! You're wrong! That's not at all why I'm posting about cabbage soup. Sure, cabbage is good for you, all packed with vitamin C and flavonoids (or maybe it was antioxidants? Whatever it was, it's not goose fat or almond paste, thank Jeebus, because I can't look at either right now without wincing.). But take a closer look: There's ketchup in this soup, people. Ketchup. KETCH-UP. And brown sugar. And you're supposed to dollop sour cream on top. Okay? No diet soup here, no sirree, I don't think so.

It's not that I'm not into New Year's resolutions. Last year I made a bang-up list (uh, yes, drinking more green tea was on there, but so was stuff like "get a pedicure"and "buy a standmixer" (got the former, not the latter)). By February, though, it devolved into a to-do list of wedding-related errands and things like "open a German credit card" and "go to the cemetery in Kassel" and before too long, I hied that list of resolutions to the curb.

This year, I was too busy to make a list. I wanted to enjoy every blessed minute that Max was here over the holidays (two whole weeks!) and we had our very first Christmas at home (which has been one of my life goals since I was a small child - check!), replete with a candle-lit tree that the poor man lugged home the day before Christmas Eve and that is still perfuming our living room almost two weeks later. (Before you throw out your Christmas tree, have you seen this?)

Plus, I was sort of consumed with thoughts about the book, you know, and this other thing that has been occupying whatever spare part of my mind I've still got left (it's not much) (good grief, the parentheses in this post are multiplying like bacteria) (more on that, the other thing, not the parenthesiitis, in a minute)).

So there's no official list of virtuous resolutions this year. In fact, a few days ago I even canceled my gym membership (if you must know, it's because my gym stinks - well, figuratively, not literally). I was pretty sure the gods of January were going to smite me for doing such a profane thing, but miraculously I made it home in one piece. Being virtuous for a few weeks feels like a waste of time when I've got so much more in my lap right now. Instead I've decided to do things like "use up the vegetables languishing in the fridge instead of letting them calcify" or "embrace self-indulgence every once in a while, you mean old hag, you" and I've also decided I don't need a pretty list doodled on good paper to do that, either.

Which leads me back to the ketchup soup. The other night, I had nothing but three moldy carrots, half a green cabbage and several lemons so dried out you could have cracked them like eggs skulking around my fridge. The carrots especially were starting to seriously irritate me. Carrot frittata? I wondered as I stared at this motley crew. Lemon sandwiches? Cabbage spaghetti? No, no and no.

Instead I vaguely remembered reading something about a cabbage soup, but who knows when, my mind is a sieve these days. A few clicks later and there was Bess Feigenbaum's Cabbage Soup staring back at me from the computer screen. As I scrolled through the ingredient list, I felt more and more triumphant. I had everything I needed, everything except for the raisins which I didn't want in my soup anyway, no way, no how. How perfect was this?

Also, as I might have already mentioned, there was ketchup in this soup. KETCHUP. In the soup. People. When I saw that, I scrambled to the kitchen so fast that dust clouds kicked up under my feet.

To start, you make a simple tomato sauce base, really - sautéeing onions and garlic in olive oil, adding sliced carrots and canned tomatoes and tomato paste. But then you throw in a bay leaf and ketchup and brown sugar (and not a small amount either, though I confess to halving the sugar, because I just couldn't bring myself to use the full amount, not with a whole half-cup of ketchup in the soup to boot) and when this has cooked for about twenty minutes you render it coarsely mashed or puréed, depending on your taste, and then you add an enormous amount of sliced cabbage and water and what seems like far too much lemon juice, but do not skimp, please, because the lemon juice is crucial.

This whole messy concoction, cabbage strips sticking every which way, then gets cooked until it's good and silky. Two hours at least. I had a bowl after an hour and I don't advise you do the same. You want the cabbage to go limp and soft, really soft. Practically melting. And you want all those crazy flavors to meld into something a little less nuts (don't worry, the ketchup does blend into the background). (Also, it feeds a blessed multitude, so invite your whole block over for dinner or else be prepared to eat this for days.)

A dollop of something cool and creamy on top is sort of crucial when you serve the soup. Otherwise it could err a little on the sweet-and-strange side. You could go for sour cream or plain yogurt, if you were feeling virtuous (or if that's all you had in the house, ahem). But don't skip this bit either. You want that final hit of bracing acidity and smoothing lactic power, brightening the coldest and darkest of winter days.

My father arrived this morning for a two-week visit and I served this to him for lunch, along with a slice of dark bread. (He always eats a slice of buttered dark bread when he gets off the airplane in Berlin and then, with a deep sigh, tells me how good it tastes.) (Also, he is a cabbage man, if you know what I mean. Never met a cabbage he didn't like.) He said it tasted like the stuffed cabbage his mother used to make, which is exactly the point, according to Zoe Feigenbaum (Bess was Zoe's grandmother and Bess's stuffed cabbage was the inspiration for the soup.)

...

But wait! We're not done yet! There's still that thing I have to tell you about, the thing I mentioned just above. I have been wracking my mind for days (weeks! months!), trying to figure out a good way to tell you all, my darling readers, my friends who I've never met, and I keep on coming up empty. It's just too big, I guess, too good.

So. You know how I said I was hiding from you because I was so wrapped up in the book and all the craziness that goes along with the final weeks of revisions and writing? Well. Um. I might not have been telling you the whole, entire truth. Technically.

You see, that other something I mentioned above, well, it's not just a little thing, though, actually, it is pretty little. With wee legs and arms and delicious cheeks to nibble on soon and a thumpy, steady heartbeat and the cutest little profile I ever did see, already turning 2012 into the best year of my life, hands down, without a doubt, book or no book.

What I'm trying to say is, that thing occupying whatever space I've got left in my mind and taking up all the space in my belly is our baby. Our baby! A boy, our son, due in June. This June! Our baby! Our son!

Bess Feigenbaum's Cabbage Soup
Original recipe here
Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 pounds green cabbage, approximately half of one large head (tough outer leaves, core and ribs removed), sliced into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper
Sour cream or plain yogurt

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is tender but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add 3 cups water, carrots, tomatoes and purée, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes, then crush the tomatoes with a fork or wooden spoon. Continue to simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. 

 2. Using an immersion blender, process mixture until it is coarse, not puréed. Add lemon juice, cabbage strips and 3 additional cups water. Place over medium-high heat and cook at a lively simmer until cabbage is meltingly soft, about 2 hours. Add water to thin to desired consistency. Ten minutes before serving, stir in raisins and a few twists of black pepper. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Comments

[CM]

Cabbage anything does not appeal to me at all, but yay for a new baby boy! Congratulations! If you like the feeling of checking off resolutions, you could always make a list: 1. Have baby. 2. Recover from having baby. 3. Survive first few months of baby.

[tea_austen]

Weeping. WEEPING! And I already knew the big news!
So dang happy for you. xox

[Jennifer Jo]

Fabulous soup (I'm trusting you on this) and fabulous news (I know this for a solid fact, four times over). Wheeee!

[Jacqui]

Congratulations! How exciting for you guys!

[donaji]

A baby! Congratulations!! Big hug for both of you from Mexico :)
(The soup also looks great!)

[Eleana]

OMG Luisa! I'm so excited for you ... having read your blog for years and going through your life with you, I feel like I like I know you, though of course we've never met. Congrats to you and husband!

[janet @ the taste space]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You can never go wrong with cabbage soup... I just made one with apple cider and caramelized onions - so different yet so awesome. :)

[Laura]

Yay - congratulations! Beautiful baby bump too :)

[Dervla]

Yayyyy this post made me cry! Congratulations, Luisa and Max! Gorgeous bump indeed. Can't wait to meet the little guy making it.

[Laura in PA]

Congratulations! What wonderful news, and what a lovely picture. My baby boy was born in June 3 and a half years ago, and I'm grateful for him (and for his sister) every single day. I hope that and more for you as well.

[Jen]

Congrats! Honeymoon baby? :) My own little honeymoon baby boy is lying here right now and is feeding as I read your post. He's just turned four months and while it's hard work it really is the most wonderful thing ever. 2012 will be such an exciting year for you. Really enjoy it!

[Uncle Bob]

Congratulations to you both!!! I've missed your posts so much. I still religiously check your blog virtually every day and was so pleased to see your latest. I'm like your father in that I, too, have never met a cabbage I didn't like. I'll give the recipe a try very soon.

But then, as if seeing your post wasn't enough, you hit us up with the most wonderful news. Blessing on all three of you. It's wonderful that we can share this with your family. After all, I guess we're sort of family members too, aren't we? If you thought the book and marriage changed your life, you ain't seen nothin' yet! But it will be such a great change to your lives. I am so happy for you and wish you all the best in the weeks and years ahead.

[Lia]

I knew it when I started reading this! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. You are going to be an absolutely incredible mother and I can't wait to read about your experiences as you and Max grow to a family of three. Little boys are the best. My two little guys (one of whom is a June baby!) have lit up my life in ways I could have never imagined. I wish I was in Germany right now to give you a big hug. Happy happy new year.

[Ana]

Adorable! Congratulations times a million!

[Nicole]

Congratulations!!! That's such incredible news!!

[Lexi]

Congratulations on the baby!
Question about your tree: when you say "candle-lit tree," you do mean that you put actual, fiery candles on it, don't you? My mom has kept a tradition from her Viennese parents of doing just that, and it freaks the hell out of everyone I know, but I LOVE it. There is nothing like the look of a sparkling tree in a dim room, lit by tiny white candles, and everyone singing Stille Nacht.

[Dana]

Call me Sherlock Holmes but I just knew where those parentheses were leading. Huge congratulations to you! And, as the mother of two boys, I can tell you with certainty that boys are the best. Happy New Year!

[MemeGRL]

Delurking to say congratulations! How wonderful.

[Deanna]

Congratulations! That is so exciting. Have a happy, healthy, and safe 2012! I hope we get to hear all about the food cravings. If they lead to anything as tasty as Deb's pickled grapes I think we're all in for a treat.

[LLB]

Congratulations!!

[Dorothee]

So happy for you and your husband! What exciting news. My little boy will have just turned three when his sibling is due on June 12th. We still don't know what it will be. After hoping for a girl the first time around I can't but wish for another wonderful baby boy. Hoping your enjoying your pregnancy and definitely second Foodlovas recommendations!

[Melissa]

Oh congratulations!!! How exciting, I'm due in July and am so ecstatic. I also get that whole "my brain is seive" thing also, I swear sometimes I have lost my mind. :) Congrats again!

[emily]

so many good wishes to you!

[Becky]

Congratulations! You will make a wonderful mother!

[michelle]

Oh my goodness! All my lo9ve to you!

[Elke]

Yay babies! We have a girl born in May four years ago and a boy boy last June. It's a great time of year for a birthday!

[Row]

Squee!!! Congrats Luisa!!! Love that last pic! :D

[Amy]

!!!! Yay yay! How nice! This post was wonderful and made me laugh and then that news at the bottom??!! Goodness, how lovely. Congratulations, Luisa.

[Whitney]

Wow! Congrats! I've been reading your site forever and I'm so, so happy for you. What a year it's going to be!

[tracy]

Congrats!! Having a son is fantastic! You'll see that soon :) xoxoxo

[Anna @ the shady pine]

What great news....congratulations!! All the best for the remainder of your pregnancy.

[nicole]

Such lovely news! Congratulations to you all!

[AlaskanAlison]

Congratulations!

[teryll]

Congratulations!

[Ching]

Congratulations, Luisa! I've been reading your blog regularly for years and have silently cheered you on through your big move, book-writing, and marriage -- but this was such big news I had to de-lurk. All the best to you and thanks for putting such wonderful heart into these posts and recipes -- we readers so appreciate it!

[Jenn]

I haven't commented before (but should have - you turned my hubby, a sworn veggie hater, into a lover of parsnips!) but let me do so now... CONGRATULATIONS!

[Melanie]

Congrats! Now we know why your clothes don't fit :-) 2012 will be so wonderful for you and Max, enjoy it all.

[Emily]

I always read and so rarely comment, but, oh, what beautiful news! We will start trying for our own little bundle of joy in a few short weeks (planners, us), so may it be a year of fabulousness for all. Plus, I am told it's the Chinese year of the dragon - for what it's worth, apparently a great one to bring a life into the world. I hope your journey with your new boy is a grand one :)

[noelle]

Happy new year and congratulations, Luisa! I think this calls for (more) cake!

p.s. Speaking of labors of love, I made your version (mmm, prunes) of Tartine's panforte for Christmas presents. Thx for the recipe!

[Margit van Schaick]

Oh, what wonderful news! I am so happy for you! My daughter Daphne is also expecting her first child in June--Be sure to eat very well and don't worry about gaining weight. Rest whenever you feel like it.

[Keri]

Wow. Felicitations! What an exciting year 2012 is shaping (ha!) up to be for you. It's the most incredible experience, and as others have suggested, that boy will be very well fed.

[Julia]

congrats Luisa!

all the best to you and Max

from your cousin, Julia

[mary]

Aaaaahhhh I love you, congratulations!!!

[Nonny Dahl]

You made my heart smile! Big hugs to you
and Max and your nascent son. And I still
can't wait to handsell your book.
Much aloha from Hawaii.

[Evy]

Congratulations! Oh my! So happy for you! Many blessings and prayers sent your way!....now...on-line baby shower on this blog is in order soon....

[Rachel]

Congratulations! Such exciting news!

[Chungwan]

I was beginning to suspect that may be the reason for the absence of posts.

Congratulations!

[La_fig]

super congrats! wishing you and your two men the best!

[Christy]

Luisa! I am a huge fan of yours, and I look forward to every post on the Wednesday Chef. Congratulations to the both of you -- you deserve nothing but wonderful things!

[Laura]

What lovely news - congratulations!