Savoy Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Arborio Rice

Cabbage. I never liked the horrid stuff my mother plunked into the corned beef pot. She used common cabbage, but there are dozens of cabbages suited to different purposes. Cabbage is good for you, and as we all know, that doesn't mean it has to taste (or smell) bad.

My mother-in-law whipped up delicious cabbage rolls, one of many Syrian dishes made by stuffing various vegetables with ground lamb, rice, and Middle Eastern spices. Last year, Dawn shared a wonderful stuffed cabbage recipe (Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage -Töltött Káposzta).

I first tried Savoy cabbage in Ireland. Shredded and cooked in cream and Irish bacon, it served as a bed for a roasted meat I can't recall, the cabbage was so good. Savoy cabbage is milder than common cabbage. Prettier too, with its curly leaves.

I've made this Savoy Cabbage Soup, my version of a classic Italian dish, several times. It's a perfect autumn/winter dish. Delizioso!

SAVOY CABBAGE SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND ARBORIO RICE

32 oz. fat free beef broth
32 oz. fat free chicken broth
3 Tbs. butter
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (4-5 sausages), casings removed
6 cups (about 1¼ lbs.) shredded Savoy cabbage
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
½ cup arborio rice
Fresh chopped parsley

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1. Combine broths and bring to a simmer.

2. Melt butter in 6-8 quart pot. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden.

3. Add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon. Cook until well browned.

4. Prepare cabbage. Remove and discard outer leaves and core, removing thick "ribs" from the larger leaves as you work. Thinly slice cabbage (I use my food processor with thickest slicing blade), add to sausage, and cook until wilted.

5. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

6. Add rice. Cover and simmer 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add parsley and serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.