Hearty potato and cabbage chowder

A satisfying and delicious winter warmer!

My devoted taste tester, who is more than a little spoiled when it comes to enjoying wholesome and delicious food, said after one bite, “you can make this soup again, anytime!” I consider this high praise, indeed, given how many recipes he could choose from given the extent of my growing repertoire. If you enjoy hearty soups like this, you might also like my fully-loaded baked potato chowder or my tasty corn chowder.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 4 cups (946 mL) chicken stock
• 1 cup (260 mL) water
• 8 strips bacon
• 3 cups (265 g) finely shredded Savoy cabbage
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
• 1/4 cup (69 g) sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• Fresh lime or lemon wedges

Method

• In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat then add the vegetables plus salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to combine then reduce heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to soften. Add chicken stock and water; increase heat so mixture comes to a boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes more, or until all the vegetables are tender.
• Remove from heat and let, sit covered, until ready to add cabbage just before serving. Soup can be refrigerated at this point then reheated prior to finishing.
• While the soup is cooking, bake the bacon strips at 375F on a parchment-lined baking tray for about 12 – 15 minutes, until crisp, flipping once during cooking. Alternatively, you can fry the bacon if you prefer. Let cool slightly then chop (or cut with kitchen scissors) into small pieces and set aside.
• With an immersion blender, quickly pulse the soup a few times to achieve a semi-smooth texture (or pulse it in batches in a blender or food processor. If you prefer, you can blend until completely smooth, but I prefer it semi-smooth so you can still see small pieces of the cooked vegetables.
• Add cabbage to the pot and simmer over medium heat just until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Add maple syrup and butter, stirring until butter melts. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, scattering bacon bits and parsley on top. Pass lime or lemon wedges at the table to squeeze over each bowl.

Serves 4.