Polish Sausage & Cabbage Soup Recipe

Here is the recipe for the Polish Sausage & Cabbage soup that I made on Sunday. We finished off some of the leftovers today for lunch and the rest are in the freezer. The reheated leftovers tasted just as good, if not better, than the first meal.

This recipe really makes a lot and it freezes really well, so it is perfect for anyone trying to stock their freezer. We will get 3 meals out of it, plus the 3 servings that we gave to neighbors, so it probably makes enough for 3 to 4 meals, maybe even more, depending on the size of your family.

Ingredients

• 3 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. skinless Polish sausage, split lengthwise and cut into half-moon slices
• 1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 head cabbage, cut to preferred size (I like to leave my pieces fairly big)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery (including some celery leaves), sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 potatoes, cut into medium sized cubes
  
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 10 c. chicken stock
  
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. barley
• 1 T. dill weed
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup/stock pot. Add the polish sausage and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the cabbage, onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. (I am torn about adding pepper at this point because I have read pepper can become bitter when it simmers for a long time in a soup. Sometimes I add it now and sometimes I wait until just before we eat. I really haven't noticed a taste difference either way.)

3. Cook the veggies for about 10-15 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir in the potatoes and barley. Bring to a boil. Skim any foam off of the top of the pan.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in dill, and let cook for as long as you want. The soup will be ready to eat as soon as the barley is fully cooked (about 1 hour), but it tastes better the longer it simmers. Season with extra salt and pepper as needed.

I am in such a soup mood lately, in case you haven't noticed. (I know you did Amy!) I have plenty of favorites planned for the next few weeks, but I'm always looking for new soups to try.

Head over to BooMama's to find tons more soup recipes!