SLOPPY CABBAGE SOUP – “LUCSKOS KAPOSZTA”

SLOPPY CABBAGE SOUP – “LUCSKOS KAPOSZTA”

Talk about a refreshing, herbs flavored, Vitamin C filled, artery opener of a summer/winter every season soup.  In Transylvania we made this a one dish hearty soup accompanied by some fresh bread and hot pepper but you can have it as a soup followed by a lighter dinner dish or just have seconds and it will nourish your body and senses to the fullest extent.  The key is an abundance of fresh thyme if you don't have CSOMBORD or CIMBRU and dill…and I’m talking 4-5-6 tablespoons here :)

Pictures can’t describe the smell and flavor of this wonderful soup:)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 large onion (whit or red) – chopped
2. 4 tablespoons of olive oil
3. 1.5 Lbs of pork – cut in small cubes and spiced up earlier with salt, pepper and paprika
4. ½ lb of Smoked bacon/ Keiser – cut up in small cubes but keep the smoked skin part to add it to the soup while cooking
5. 1 large head of white or Savoy cabbage – sliced and cut up in 1 inch squares (core removed)
6. 5 tablespoons of fresh or dried thyme, or better with CSOMBORD in Hungarian and CIMBRU in Romanian, called SAVORY in English :)
7. 5 tablespoons of fresh dill
8. 3-4 tablespoons of Vegeta (or salt)
9. black pepper at the end
10. 1 pinch of paprika
11. 1 tablespoon Red Gold HOT paprika paste (optional for those who like it spicy)
12. 8 quarts of water
13. 4 tablespoons of white vine or apple cider vinegar
14. 1 pinch of sugar
15. 2 tablespoons of flour
16. 3 tablespoons of sour cream

Cut up your pork loin or shoulder in small cubes and pre-marinate it in salt, black pepper and paprika and place it in a Ziploc bag in your fridge for a  couple of hours before cooking it.

Get your nice big 8-9 Qrt. Soup cookware and add the olive oil with the chopped onions, sauté them until golden brown then add your pre marinated pork and smoked Keiser/ bacon bits and stir it frequently.  The key here is the making the pork sweat out all the juices and wait until there’s almost no liquid left and the meat starts browning nicely on all sides.  Stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn.  Now you can add your fresh or dried herbs, the Vegeta and some HOT paprika paste, a pinch of sweet paprika and immediately fill it up with 8 quarts of cold water.  Leave some 1 inch space in the bowl for your cabbage later.  Cooking on medium heat will take about an hour, maybe 1h and ½.  Check for seasoning if it needs more salt. 

When the pork is tender you can add the sliced up cabbage and cook the soup until the cabbage is tender but still a bit crispy.  Add vinegar and a pinch of sugar.  In a small cup take out ¾ of a cup of the cooking liquid only, add the flour and the sour cream and mix it well together in a Magic Bullet or food processor.  Now you can pour it in slowly into the soup and cook it all together for another ½ hour.  The taste should be a bit sour but not overwhelming.  If you put too much vinegar, you can always add a bit more sugar to take the bitterness away.  The consistency should be slightly creamy but still fluidic.  Check for condiments add some black pepper on top and some extra fresh dill and you’re done! 

When you serve it in individual cups or bowls, add a dollop of Daisy or in lame terms sour cream for everyone to mix it in before eating it.  Or you can skip that part.

This is one of those soups that likes to rest overnight in your fridge and tastes even better the next day when all the ingredients made friends and decided to overwhelm your palate. :)  Enjoy!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                   BON APPETITE!