Project Weeknight: Potato & Cabbage Soup

Last night I decided I had to try to adapt one of my favorite soups. I think the original name is Peasant Soup, but we always called it Cabbage & Kielbasa Soup. I've been making it for probably 20 years. But how would it fly without kielbasa?

Ingredients list is simple: carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, cabbage, herbs, and stock. As always, the chopping took a lot longer than I thought. You'd think I'd have figured that out by now. A little sauteeing, some simmering, hit it with the stick blender, and done.

It could have used more simmering, but I ran out of time. And it's one of those soups that will be better the second day. But I think it'll pass.

Even though I doubled the original amount of potatoes, my son probably would have appreciated more. And as much as I wish it was a weeknight meal, the only way it'll qualify is if it's bagged in the freezer. Or maybe if I made half a batch - enough for one meal - that might cut back the chopping time enough to make it work.

I forgot to bring the recipe with me today, but I'll try to do it from memory.

Peasant Soup, Veg Style
Adapted from some book whose title I've forgotten...
(I'll remove this note when I've double-checked the recipe at home)

1 Tblsp oil
1 Tblsp butter
2 med. onions, chopped
2 cups carrots, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 quarts stock (I used half chicken, half veg)
4 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
4 cups potatoes, diced
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp marjoram
salt & pepper to taste

Heat fats in pan, add onions, carrots, celery, and saute until soft. Add stock and cabbage, simmer 15 minutes. Add potatoes and herbs, simmer 15 minutes. Puree half of the soup in a food processor, or just hit it with the stick blender for a couple of pulses.

Goes great with cornbread.

My SO, a former student of the Russian language, suggested beets. I'd never had borscht, but the idea intrigues me. We figured a can of beets, cut up, could be added near the end. I may have to give that a go.