Leek and Cabbage Soup with Andouille Sausage

Leek and Cabbage Soup.  Who knew that the combination of cabbage with leeks made such a great soup?! Throw in some andouille sausage and the flavor just really pops.

I had a head of cabbage in the fridge and was in the grocery store the other day when I decided to grab a bunch of leeks, knowing they would make their way into some kind of soup with the cabbage.  Once I got started with a basic mirepoix of carrot, onion, celery - and of course the leeks - I thought smoked sausage would make a nice compliment to it.  Despite the simplicity of this soup, this was a highly flavorful and just simply delicious soup.

With leeks it's very important to get them cleaned well, since there are so many nooks and crannies for grit and dirt to hide in. We're using mostly only the white part of the leek and just about two inches of the green part just above there.



Split the leek down the entire length and fan it out to expose the grit.



I fill my clean sink with a basin of cool water and swish them around under the water a few times, which seems to work. Remove, check and set aside to drain.



Chop up the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and set those aside.  I split the sausage down lengthwise in half and then in half again, cutting it into bite sized pieces. Brown the sausage in a bit of oil.



Add the carrots, onion and celery to the sausage and cook until softened.  Slice the leeks.



Add the leeks and the garlic to the sausage and veggie mixture and cook until the leeks soften.  Add the chicken broth.



Add the chopped potatoes and the seasonings and bring to a boil.



Cut the cabbage in half, remove the core, and slice up one half of the cabbage, add to the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  Splash in the vinegar and stir in the thyme. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.



This soup was so full of flavor, that first bite I knew it would be a keeper.  With cold weather looming, or maybe even at your doorstep, I hope you put it on your list of soups to try!

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Leek and Cabbage Soup with Smoked Sausage
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

2 leeks, split, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pound of smoked or mild
   andouille sausage, chopped
1 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 cups of chicken stock or broth
2 red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and diced
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thin
Couple pinches of kosher salt
4 turns of the pepper grinder
2 bay leaves
Splash of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of dried thyme

Clean the leeks and set them aside to dry. Slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

In the bottom of a heavy stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Split the sausage in half lengthwise, then slice into half rounds, about 1/4 inch thick.  Cook until meat is lightly browned.  Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened.  Add the leeks and garlic and cook until the leeks are soft.

Add the chicken stock and turn burner up to high.  Add the potatoes, cabbage, salt, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.  Add a splash of the vinegar and stir in the thyme; taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com
Adapted from Martha Stewart

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