topic Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup in Recipes

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

drizzellla — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:33:30 GMT

Let me start out by saying, I never made Stuffed Cabbage Soup before.

Went to a Farmers Market. It had so many tasty things to buy. I decided to try sauerkraut from a vendor. The ingredients were cabbage, salt and water. Fixed it with the fresh perioges I bought. Did not care for the sauerkraut and of course I bought the large container. Guess I am not used to fresh sauerkraut.

So do you think it will work to use the sauerkraut in a Stuffed Cabbage Soup? Since it is only cabbage, salt and water?

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:51:53 GMT

@drizzellla If you don't like the sauerkraut, you won't like the soup. We make our own sauerkraut every year. Yes, it is just cabbage and salt (we don't add water). However, it is fermented in a large crock in our basement for 6 weeks. This fermentation turns it into sauerkraut. It's a completely different taste from just cabbage. I personally love homemade sauerkraut, but not everyone does. You might try adding apples, onions or something else to make it more palatable for you. Or give it to someone who likes homemade sauerkraut.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

lovethgedress — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 18:38:19 GMT

I agree with the previous response that it has a different flavor than just cabbage. I usually take pure sauerkraut and mix in some raw cabbage with a smokey type of meat. It cuts the vinegar taste from the sauerkraut. Cook it all together for a few hours so the flavors meld.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

RedTop — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 19:03:46 GMT

@drizzellla

Your idea of making cabbage soup from the kraut you don't like the taste of now, is a very bad idea, as you will wind up with a big pot of nasty soup.

However you can turn that leftover kraut into a very tasty kraut salad.

Heat 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. oil to a boil. Pour over drained kraut, chopped celery, onion, grated carrot and green pepper. Stir well and chill.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

tipsy — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 19:07:09 GMT

@lovethgedress wrote:
I agree with the previous response that it has a different flavor than just cabbage. I usually take pure sauerkraut and mix in some raw cabbage with a smokey type of meat. It cuts the vinegar taste from the sauerkraut. Cook it all together for a few hours so the flavors meld.

Yes..add some onion, bacon & caraway seeds to the sauerkraut/cabbage & lay some bratwurst on top...it's delicious!!

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 19:58:34 GMT

I have never had stuffed cabbage soup.

We make Sarma which is stuffed cabbage with sauerkraut. I eat a little of it, but I do not like salty foods.

sauerkraut is too salty for my taste. My husband, his family and mine go crazy for it. We have it every Christmas.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Kachina624 — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 20:10:01 GMT

@drizzellla You need simething, some meat, to flavor and temper the kraut. My favorite thing this time if year is to slow cook it with a pork roast, adding a chopped apple, onion and a tablespoon of brown sugar to cut some of the sour. Cook until the meat falls apart.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Kachina624 — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 20:13:31 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
I have never had stuffed cabbage soup.

We make Sarma which is stuffed cabbage with sauerkraut. I eat a little of it, but I do not like salty foods.

sauerkraut is too salty for my taste. My husband, his family and mine go crazy for it. We have it every Christmas.

@Carmie I had a male friend who made his own sauerkraut and every Christmas fixed it with pork and served it with his turkey. I always thought that was a strange combination.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

SoonerLater — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 20:39:57 GMT

As far as I know, stuffed cabbage nor stuffed cabbage soup involve sauerkraut. Nor does unstuffed cabbage. casserole. I LOVE them all!

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 23:17:59 GMT

@Kachina624 My husband's family serves sauerkraut with chicken and every other meat you can think of. They even make a salad out of it by adding oil and veggies.

My DH makes his own shredded sauerkraut in crocks in our shed. In addition, he hollows out the core of the cabbage and brines the whole head. He uses a full leaf of cabbage to roll around meat.

This year he didn't get around to it...no worries. We have local butchers who make sauerkraut and sell it shredded or the whole head to make Sarma.

Everyone seems to love it. He normally makes about 80 Sarma rolls for Christmas and they are gone almost immediately.

Sarma stuffed with ground beef and rice is served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and bite size pieces of smokedpork sausage which contains paprika... responsible for the red colored juice.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Kachina624 — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 23:18:59 GMT

@Carmie What is Sarma? I never heard of it.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 01:34:08 GMT

@Kachina624 It is cabbage leaves stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture. It is cooked in a pot layered with sauerkraut and sometimes small pieces of smoked sausage.

It is quite popular with people from a Slavic country. It is served all winter long and always during the Christmas holiday season. Some people call it pig in the blanket and the whole cabbage heads that are brined like sauerkraut are called sour heads.

It is really, really popular in the area where I live.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

drizzellla — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 03:55:15 GMT

Earlier today I had looked at Stuffed Cabbage Soup recipes because I was looking for recipes to use the sauerkraut I had bought. Then I asked for opinions from you ladies.

I was going to throw out the sauerkraut because I know no one in the household would try and find a recipe to use it. My husband saw a recipe that I had found for Stuffed Cabbage Soup. He said it sounded good. So I figured I had nothing to lose except the time to prepare it. Well, we had it for dinner. And I must say I liked it. And everyone took a second helping.

The recipe was for a slow cooker. It was hamburger, onion, cabbage (in my case sauerkraut), garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce and rice. Not very soup like but everyone took a second helping.

Thanks for all your input and insight. I was lucky this time but usually I am not. Ask my family about some of the meals that I try.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

tiny 2 — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:33:00 GMT

@Carmie,

"Sarma stuffed with ground beef and rice is served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and bite size pieces of smokedpork sausage which contains paprika... responsible for the red colored juice."

Does the pork sausage with paprika have a specific name or is it something you can buy? Do you have to make the sausage?

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:55:44 GMT

@tiny 2 The sausage is smoked sausage...hot or mild.We buy it locally at Schmidts Shop in Harrisburg, PA.

They sell Sarma already made at the shop and it is called pig in the blanket.

They sell the homemade sauerkraut and "sour heads" of cabbage as well.

You can look them up on line and call them to place an order. They do not take CC, so you would need to send them a check.

The shop is small and local and has been in business since the 60's. They are family owned.

I will vouch for the cleanliness and quality of their meats and other products.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

depglass — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:57:54 GMT

Carmie, would you mind posting the recipe for the Sarma, or is this one of those eyeball things?

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 15:25:06 GMT

It is an eyeball recipe.

actually, my DH makes it....it is probably the only thing he cooks besides an occasional grilled cheese sandwich. I haven't had to make it in years.

He mixes ground beef and pork, with eggs, dried rice, salt and pepper and garlicpowder. Then grabs a small handful and lays it on a cabbage leaf and rolls it up, tucking in the ends to keep the roll closed.

the rolls are layered in a pot with sauerkraut and small pieces of smoked sausage and cooked on the stove for a few hours.

the cabbage leaves need to be soft...either by brining or being frozen. Some people put a head of cabbage in the freezer for a few days. When thawed out, they are soft enough to work with.

There are recipes on line...most include tomato sauce and onions....which we do not use. I have tasted sarma with tomato sauce and I like it. My DH did not. He is very traditional. Both of his parents were Slavic and his mother was born in Europe.

I am Italian. We put tomato sauce on everything.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

tiny 2 — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 22:38:22 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
@tiny 2 The sausage is smoked sausage...hot or mild.We buy it locally at Schmidts Shop in Harrisburg, PA.

They sell Sarma already made at the shop and it is called pig in the blanket.

They sell the homemade sauerkraut and "sour heads" of cabbage as well.

You can look them up on line and call them to place an order. They do not take CC, so you would need to send them a check.

The shop is small and local and has been in business since the 60's. They are family owned.

I will vouch for the cleanliness and quality of their meats and other products.

@Carmie, Thanks for the address for the shop. It seems really nice. I have been searching for a recipe without the tomato sauce and found a couple that used heavier amounts of paprika. Some insist that it must be made with sour head and give instruction to make it that started with, Get a barrel, . Do you use a roux? I am hoping to give it a try after I have moved.

Re: Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Carmie — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 04:13:54 GMT

@tiny 2 We do not use a roux. My DH does use a sour head and sometimes makes his own in a crock, or we buy one at Schmidt's.

When people make this in the summer months, a sour head is not available and you need to use a nice head of fresh cabbage. You just dig out the core the best you can, wrap in plastic wrap and put in your freezer.

When you thaw out the cabbage, it is easy to work with the cabbage leaves. Just make sure to use a good sauerkraut to layer with.

We do not add paprika, it is just in the smoked sausage.

You can always ask me any questions when you re ready to make it.

the ingredient list is

2 parts Ground beef and 1 part pork mixed together

rice...no need to pre cook

salt, pepper

Head of cabbage..sour head or pre frozen

sauerkraut

smoked sausage...not Italian

bacon cut into small pieces ...mixed with the ground meat and also layered in the kettle with the cabbage rolls and sauerkraut.