Amazing Roasted Cabbage Soup

Please friends, just hear me out. I know you are thinking - how can cabbage soup be amazing? I understand, because cabbage is one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. Since I'm from the LOVE IT side of the aisle, I decided to come up with a recipe that I'd enjoy plus possibly change some of haters minds. So, for about a month, I schemed and tested different versions of this soup to come up with what would end up being the best cabbage soup ever. Finally, I did it, well, at least in my opinion. 

With my new creation complete, I was off to change a few minds about cabbage. I secretly selected a couple of friends to taste my soup. I sent them each a text message asking for a little help with a taste test but didn't go into detail on what I'd be dropping off - remember, it's cabbage. One of my buddies responded she'd love to help but wasn't feeling too good, she had a cold. What? This was just what I needed to hear since all of the ingredients in this soup are full of vitamins and tend to help heal a tired, sick body.

I told my friend, Julie, about my soup and she sweetly declined my offer. I knew that was coming so I pressed on asking her to please just taste it - "it doesn't even taste like cabbage" I said at least half a dozen times. I finally got the go ahead and then…yes, it happened, one cabbage hater changed her pretty, little mind! I got the call that she loved the soup and did I have more. Uh, no, I ate it all. Interestingly enough, I got a call from Julie's husband that next Saturday asking where on my blog could he find the recipe. Well, have mercy - I hadn't even written the recipe, it was just all sticky notes at that point, so I just rattled off the ingredient list to him while he stood in the grocery store parking lot! Then after a couple of phone calls with Andy on what to do with all his store bought goodies, my friends had a big pot of delicious, amazing cabbage soup. The crazy glorious trick is roasting the cabbage before it goes into the soup pot.

At the end of it all, I'm happy, my friends are happy and there's something to be said for being open minded. Thanks everyone. I'm just gonna hang out over here and keep changing the world one bowl of cabbage soup at a time.

Amazing Roasted Cabbage Soup

1 small head of cabbage cut into 1" rounds
1/2 cup olive
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 carrots - diced
1 small onion - diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 8 oz can small diced or crushed tomatoes - drained
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• Heat oven to 415 degrees.
• Place cabbage rounds on a 9 X 11 inch sheet pan lined with parchment.
• Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a small dish. Using a grater or micro plane, grate 1 clove of garlic into olive oil. Brush or spoon garlic oil on each of cabbage rounds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes. When outside of rounds are dark brown and crisp, flip, spread with remaining olive oil. Return to oven and roast for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove from oven to cool.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot on medium low heat. Add carrots and onions. Saute until onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes and thyme.  Cook with onions and carrots for one minute.  Add stock to pot. Stir to incorporate vegetables and herbs. Add tomatoes and stir.
• Cut cabbage rounds into large chunks (discard very dark edges) and add to stock pot. Drizzle in red wine vinegar. Bring soup up to a boil then reduce to a simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until slightly reduced. 
• Serve soup with a dash of hot sauce or chopped chives.
• Can be frozen in ziptop bags.