Cabbage Stew

Cabbage and Bread Stew

Serves: 6

* 3 to 4 cups cubed (about 1 inch) Italian or sourdough bread
* 2 TBS olive oil
* 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
* 3 to 4 cloves garlic
* 5 cups water
* 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
* 2 large or 3 medium potatoes, diced
* 4 cups coarsely shredded green cabbage
* 1 medium green or red bell pepper, diced
* 1 16oz can salt-free diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
* 1/4 cup dry red wine -- I'm using heavy veggie beef stock
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 3 TBS lemon juice-- I'm skipping this bc DH doesn't care for sweet n sour
* 3 TBS natural granulated sugar-- skipping this too - no sweet n sour for DH
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the water, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes, wine/broth, paprika, and cumin. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the lemon juice and sugar. There should be a subtle sweet-sour balance. If you’d like it to be more pronounced, add more lemon juice and/or sugar to your liking.

Season with salt and pepper, then simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes longer. If time allows, let the stew stand off the heat for an hour or two, then heat through before serving.

When ready to serve, divide the bread cubes among the serving bowls and ladle the stew over them. The bread will absorb much of the liquid and add a tasty, textural element to the stew. Remember, if you don't use a good crusty loaf, you're gonna get nothing but a flavorful soggy stoup :)