Cabbage and Sausage Stew

I am not a cabbage fan. I never had a cabbage patch doll and I don't like cabbage stews. I'm a terrible Pole. But I'm coming around to it.

Over the holidays (yes, the Christmas holidays all those moons ago), my mom made a cabbage stew that actually wasn't the terrible soggy lettuce I expected from cabbage (not a reflection of my mom's cooking). I'm also not a huge leek fan, not sure of their purpose but let's give them a go. Browned sausage and root vegetables really made this a hearty and warming stew.

And even though it's MAY, it's freezing by British standards so yes, we're talking about stew. We start by browning the sausage in a soup pot with a little bit of oil to keep them from sticking to the pan. This is the basis of our flavoring.

Once the sausage is browned, remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized chunks. Return to the pan and add the broth along with chopped carrots. Carrots will take the longest to cook so we give them a head start. Next, add some great northern beans (drained) and the cabbage leaves and leeks, roughly chopped.

Recipe

• Olive oil
• 6 chicken sausages (I used spicy ones but you can use plain if desired)
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 2 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 leak, chopped
• 1 14 oz. can of white beans (cannellini or Great Northern)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1. In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Brown the chicken sausages until all sides are light brown.
2. Remove the chicken sausages and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to the pan.
3. Add the cabbage, carrots and leaks. Saute with the sausage for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the broth. Stir in the seasonings and tomato paste.
5. Stir in the beans.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until the vegetables are soft (30-40 minutes).
7. Eat with some hearty bread or you can freeze this soup for a rainy day!