soups
cabbage
fall
winter
quick + easy

"I 'Rachaelmagized' one of my favorite recipes from the great Marcella Hazan!" says Rach. The smothered cabbage and rice soup is very simple and satisfying, especially during the cold months. Rach suggests serving it with sweet or hot sausages roasted with fennel and onions (below), veal cutlets or roasted meatballs for a heartier meal. You can prepare them while the soup is simmering. The gremolata is optional, but as Rach says, it really does add a little fun, tasty twist to the soup. 

For more cold-weather soups, check out Rachael's Minestrone with Barley and Beans and Spanish Lentil Soup with Potatoes. 

Ingredients

For the Soup:
  • About ½ cup EVOO
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 green cabbage (2 pounds), shredded by hand or with food processor fitted with shredding blade
  • Salt and pepper or white pepper
  • A few grates of nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 quart beef bone broth or stock
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the Roasted Sausages:
  • 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick (reserve fennel fronds for garnish)
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled, cut in half, core end trimmed, sliced ¼ inch thick
  • Salt and pepper
  • EVOO
  • 6 links of sausage (or any protein of your choice, such as veal cutlets or roasted meatballs)
For the Gremolata:
  • ¾ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • ½ cup toasted pistachios
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Yield

Serves: 4 to 6

Preparation

For the soup, heat a Dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat with EVOO and the onions and cook to golden in color and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and stir a minute or 2. Add the cabbage and season with salt, pepper of choice and nutmeg. Wilt the cabbage 7 to 8 minutes while stirring, then add vinegar. Cover the pot and turn heat to low. Cook 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.   

Add stock and the rice to the smothered cabbage and simmer about 20 minutes until the rice is al dente, then stir in butter and cheese and serve.  

For the sausages, preheat oven to 400°F. 

Combine fennel and onion on parchment-lined sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place sausage/protein on top of onions and fennel and transfer to oven. Roast until sausage/protein is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Garnish with fennel fronds.  

For the gremolata, pile all ingredients on a cutting board and run your knife through them until finely chopped and combined. Sprinkle on top of soup.