Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [94]
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Melt the butter in a large saucepan or soup pot set over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp, turning a couple of times, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the onion; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and continue cooking, stirring often, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Add the potatoes; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Then add the beans, thyme, caraway seeds, pepper, and crispy bacon bits; cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
Pour in the broth; bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the cabbage and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Before serving, stir in the vinegar; season with salt (just remember that the bacon is quite salty).
Variations: Substitute olive or canola oil for the butter.
Substitute turkey or soy bacon for the pork bacon.
Substitute 2 large shallots, chopped, for the onion.
Substitute any variety of small canned beans for the cannellini—red kidney, Great Northern, or even pinto beans.
Substitute minced sage for the caraway seeds.
Sweet-and-Sour Meatball Soup
This soup is like a deconstructed version of stuffed cabbage; pears and vinegar provide the sweet-and-sour contrast. Makes 6 servings
1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons dry couscous
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups packed shredded Savoy cabbage (about half a medium head, cored)
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (3½ cups)
2 medium pears, peeled, halved, and cored
4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the ground beef, couscous, egg, thyme, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the nutmeg in a large bowl. Form into 18 meatballs; set aside.
Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Swirl in the canola oil, then add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the cabbage; cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Shred the pears into the stew through the large holes of a box grater. Stir well, then pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drop the meatballs into the soup, cover again, and simmer slowly, stirring once in a while, for 1 hour. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, sage, pepper, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste) and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Masaman Beef Soup with Chiles, Garlic, and Ginger
Masaman is a traditional Thai curry; the word actually means “Muslim” in Thai and refers to fiery curry blends that include cinnamon and cardamom, both brought to Thailand by Persian merchants via India. Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 large dried red New Mexican chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, halved
3 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound sirloin, trimmed and cut against the grain into thin strips
6 cups (1½ quarts) beef broth
1 cup coconut milk (regular or low-fat)
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed, cut into 4-inch pieces, each crushed somewhat with the side of a knife or the bottom of a heavy saucepan
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch sections
1 tablespoon tamarind paste, pomegranate molasses, or red currant jelly
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon peanut oil, and add the chiles, shallots, garlic, cardamom pods,