Arthur Schwartz's Russian Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
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Author Notes: Adapted very slightly from thefoodmaven.com - Nicholas
Serves 6 to 8
- 2 pounds flanken or short ribs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large Bermuda onion, cut in half and sliced
- 2 to 3 pounds ripe tomatoes (3 to 5 large), cored and cut into wedges (or one 28- or 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes)
- 2 pounds cabbage, cored and shredded (about 10 cups)
- 2 quarts water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar or 1 teaspoon fine sour salt
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds potatoes (4 to 6 large), boiled and peeled
- Snipped fresh dill (optional)
- Sprinkle the meat on all sides with salt, then place it in a heavy, 8-quart pot. Place over medium-high heat and sear until browned on both sides, turning several times. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Immediately add the oil and the sliced onion. Saute for 5 minutes, until onions are wilted.
- Add the tomato wedges and stir with the onions for 2 or 3 minutes, until the tomato juices start bubbling.
- Add half the cabbage. Place the meat on the cabbage, then top with the remaining cabbage. Add water, salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer, covered, very gently, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is so tender it practically falls apart when prodded with a fork.
- Stir in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning, adjusting with additional salt, pepper, sugar or lemon juice, as desired.
- Refrigerate the soup overnight, then skim off the hardened fat. Strip the meat into large pieces, discarding bones. Return the meat to the soup. Reheat the soup.
- Serve piping hot in a deep bowl with a boiled potato on the side, or serve in a flat bowl with quarters or chunks of potato in the bowl with the soup. Sprinkle with dill only if you are one of those cooks who feel compelled to garnish; the mahogany colored soup is beautiful as is.
- Advance Preparation: The soup is much better if made a day ahead and reheated. It also freezes very well. In either case, however, it's flavor will require refreshening. Taste carefully for salt, pepper and lemon juice.
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4 months ago jenindc
This is a fantastic winter dinner!
4 months ago rosalind5
We had this tonight and it was delicious (thank you!); as promised, my three year old loved it. My only quibble with the recipe as written is that the dill is a lovely, fresh addition to the soup, not to be missed in my opinion.
5 months ago Robert Peterlin
This appears to be a modernized traditional stew/soup ... thank you for the submission; I cannot wait to try this out. Gotta find a heart healty replacement for the ribs, this would probably taste great with a real oily (strong flavored) fish!
6 months ago PassTheKnife
Looks great. I'm going to use this recipe to baptize my new slow cooker. A quick question, first: In my experience short ribs always taste best after 5 or 6 hours of cooking - if I want to cook the meat that long, should I put off adding the tomatoes and cabbage until the last couple hours of cooking?
6 months ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Oh, goodness! How perfect for these cold, rainy winter days. Definitely on the must-make list here. ;o)