Irish Potato Cabbage Soup with Bacon & Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of uncured bacon*
  • 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ large onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 3 small carrots, diced
  • 4 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped (about ½ of a large cabbage)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large yellow-skinned Idaho® potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
  • ½ teaspoon crumbled dry sage
  • ½ teaspoon Lo-Salt*
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • ½ cup Guinness or dark beer of your choice
Garnish Ingredients:
  • crumbled bacon
  • ½ cup shredded Castelo Caraway Havarti cheese
  • thinly sliced cabbage
  • sliced green onion

Directions:

  1. Heat cast iron Dutch oven or heavy 3 qt. saucepan over med-high heat. Cook the bacon until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the fat and cool. Drain all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it and reserve for later.
  2. Return the pan to the burner on medium heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in the carrots, cook for another 2 minutes. Then, add the cabbage and garlic. Cook the cabbage mixture for about 3 minutes, until softened.
  3. Add the broth and Guinness and spices: white pepper, caraway seeds, bay leaf and Lo-Salt, and stir well to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer on medium. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.
  4. Remove from heat, allow the soup to cool a little before pouring into a food processor or blender to puree. Or a handheld blender works great if you like your soup to have little chunks of potatoes and cabbage, like I do.
  5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle bacon, shredded cheese, and thinly sliced cabbage and green onions on top of each bowl.

Notes:

Notes: *I used W Brand uncured dry-rubbed bacon made from pork raised without antibiotics, available at Trader Joe’s - it has 40% less fat and less sodium than mainstream brands, and better flavor. *Lo-Salt is reduced sodium salt alternative that has 66% less sodium than regular salts. Regular salt may be used if desired. This soup can be prepared in a slow cooker. Cook time is dependent on your particular slow cooker.

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Source:
Priscilla Willis
Food Blogger
She's Cookin

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