A chicken stock based soup made with a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery, and cooked with sliced leeks, cabbage, potatoes, seasonings and spicy andouille sausage.
Leek and Cabbage Soup with Andouille Sausage
Who knew that the combination of cabbage with leeks made such a great soup?! Throw in some andouille sausage and the flavor just really pops.
I had a head of cabbage in the fridge and was in the grocery store the other day when I decided to grab a bunch of leeks, knowing they would make their way into some kind of soup with the cabbage. Once I got started with a basic mirepoix of carrot, onion, celery - and of course the leeks - I thought smoked sausage would make a nice compliment to it. Despite the simplicity of this soup, this was a highly flavorful and just simply delicious soup.
Leeks are a vegetable that are in the same family as onion and garlic, and have a mild onion flavor. With leeks it's very important to get them cleaned well, since there are so many nooks and crannies for grit and dirt to hide in. We're using mostly only the white part of the leek and just about two inches of the green part just above there. If you're not a fan of onions, you'll probably like leeks!
Split the leek down the entire length and fan it out to expose the grit.
I fill my clean sink with a basin of cool water and swish them around under the water a few times, which seems to work. Remove, check and set aside to drain.
Chop up the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and set those aside. By the way, if you don't have leeks and want to make this soup, although they do impart a very specific flavor to the soup, you can certainly add in additional onion and leave them out. I also prefer to use andouille sausage with this soup. It also adds a lot of flavor, though you may also certainly use a milder smoked sausage or even a kielbasa - just remember you are losing the highly spiced flavor of the andouille. Split the sausage down lengthwise in half, then slice into bite sized pieces. Brown the sausage in a bit of oil.
Add the carrots, onion and celery to the sausage and cook until softened. Slice the leeks.
Add the leeks and the garlic to the sausage and veggie mixture and cook until the leeks soften. Add the chicken broth.
Add the chopped potatoes and the seasonings and bring to a boil.
Cut the cabbage in half, remove the core, and slice up one half of the cabbage, add to the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Splash in the vinegar and stir in the thyme. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
This soup was so full of flavor, that first bite I knew it would be a keeper. With cold weather looming, or maybe even at your doorstep, I hope you put it on your list of soups to try!
Leek and Cabbage Soup with Andouille
Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
A chicken stock based soup made with a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery, and cooked with sliced leeks, cabbage, potatoes, seasonings and spicy andouille sausage.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks, split, cleaned and sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mild andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, chopped
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and diced
- 1/2 head of green cabbage, quartered and sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Splash apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Clean the leeks and set them aside to dry. Slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
- In the bottom of a heavy stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Split the sausage in half lengthwise, then slice into half rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Cook until meat is lightly browned.
- Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened. Add the leeks and garlic and cook until the leeks are soft.
- Add the chicken stock and turn burner up to high. Add the potatoes, cabbage, salt, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes. Add a splash of the vinegar and stir in the thyme; taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.
Notes:
Andouille sausage is a highly spiced smoked sausage that is blended with Cajun spices, adding a spicy kick and great flavor to these dishes. If you substitute kielbasa or other milder smoked sausages in recipes where it calls for Andouille, it will affect the outcome of your dish and you’ll need to make adjustments in the other seasonings you use.
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