Keep Cabbage On Hand

A Russian proverb, “Having a good wife and rich cabbage soup, seek not other things,” speaks to the importance of cabbage as a mainstay of life in that culture. And, so it was for many ethnic groups where hunger was an issue.

Throughout the world, harsh winters meant that the tight heads of cabbage in cold cellars were a treasure. And, the fact that cabbage could also be fermented into sauerkraut or kimchi provided a variety of tastes from one vegetable.

Today, we are seeing this vegetable, once maligned as the food of the poor, gaining popularity. Cabbage is one vegetable that I like to have on hand in the crisper. There are dozens of ways to turn a head of cabbage into a quick meal or a big bowl of something healthy to have on hand over a few days.

Traditional Ethnic Cabbage Dishes

If your family came from Eastern Europe, you know about stuffed cabbage where whole leaves are wrapped around a filling of meat and rice then braised in a sweet and sour tomato sauce.

Irish grandmothers made big dishes of colcannon – a mixture of mashed potatoes, cabbage, cream, and butter. Yes, a rich dish but good at filling up the hard working laborers of days past.

The French are famous for their Choucroute Garnie or dressed sauerkraut. Cabbage becomes sauerkraut by slicing it finely, salting it, and allowing lactic acid bacteria to ferment and preserve it. In this dish, the garnie or dressing is made from potatoes, sausages, salted meats, and charcuterie.

Modern Takes on Cabbage

Like many contemporary cooks, I like to take what I learn from one culture and apply it to the ingredients I love from another. One of my favorite quick suppers is a stir fry of cabbage, onions, apples, and kielbasa. I’ll vary the mix with what I have in the refrigerator. It might be bacon, ham, or a different sausage in place of the kielbasa.

You can spread your cabbage wings beyond the big green heads when you’re making cabbage salads like cole slaw. You can shred other members of the brassicaceae family such as broccoli, turnip, rutabaga, or greens (like watercress) to the mix.

Cabbage Soup

Let’s go back to that cabbage soup in the Russian proverb. As the temperature drops my, “big bowl of healthy” switches from salads like cole slaw and tabouli to soups. I make a great soup with cabbage and whatever I have on hand.

I start with my own rich chicken stock, if I have it, or a low-sodium package, if I don’t. Next comes a traditional sauté of onion, celery, and carrots and whatever meat is on hand. Sometimes it has tomato added. Other times the stock is lean. Or, for a special treat, I’ll add milk, cream, or butter. Butter and cabbage are great mates.

If I don’t have a bit of meat, some legumes and a bit of bread with the soup will add to the protein. Cabbage becomes the mainstay of the dish. What you have, you add. Half a head will make soup for a few days for our two-person household.

We often have half a head because we use the other half in the homemade food we make for our dog. Poppy is happy to share her cabbage ration with the people in her home. What’s good for her is good for us, too.

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