Minestrone Meets Bubbie's Cabbage Soup

My sister, Julia Richardson, is the brains behind this Minestrone Meets Bubbie’s Cabbage Soup. Our Bubbie Freda’s cabbage soup was melt in your mouth delicious. Truthfully, I could write sonnets about everything Bubbie Freda fed us — from bite-sized knishes with flaky exteriors and whipped potato, caramelized onion centers to sheet pan roasted chicken cooked with gribenes, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery to cabbage rolls we called Halishkas. I’m proud to be nicknamed after that masterpiece.

Minestrone Meets Bubbie’s Cabbage Soup

1 T olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved, sliced, cut in thirds
2 celery sticks, sliced
handful of celery leaves, finely chopped
1/2 t celery salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 plum tomatoes, quartered, cut in thirds
2/3 head of cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, cut into spoon sized length
1 t Vegeta
2 carrots, peeled, sliced
1/2 c yellow lentils
1/4 c barley
1 1/2 T Better than Bouillon stock
1/2 – 1 t red pepper flakes
1 small handful dried mushrooms, processed into powder
9 cups of water or stock
large handful of green beans, cut into thirds
1 yellow zucchini, sliced (or a peeled, seeded, sliced chayote)
1 15 oz can of any kind of beans (Lima and cannellini used here)
1 t Kosher salt

Sweat onions and celery with celery salt and pepper in oil for about 10 minutes in a large covered pot over medium to medium-low heat, until softened but not browned. Add garlic, tomato, cabbage and Vegeta and continue to sweat ingredients for 8 – 10 minutes until cabbage is softened. Add carrots, lentils, barley, stock, mushroom powder and red pepper flakes with the water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 – 18 minutes. Add green beans, canned beans and zucchini and cook until everything is tender. Add salt to taste. Serves 10 – 12. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan if you so desire.