Polish Cabbage Soup

Serves 6

Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 pork sausages, cut into large chunks

2kg meaty pork belly or ribs (cut into large chunks)

½ head cabbage, shredded

2 x 400g cans whole peeled tomatoes, cut with scissors in the bowl

200g pancetta, diced 

3 sticks celery, diced

1 brown onion, diced

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp paprika 

1 tbsp caraway seeds

500g fresh sauerkraut with juice 

2 large potatoes, peeled cut into large chunks 

3 green apples, peeled and diced

1.5 L beef stock 

500ml apple cider 

Salt & pepper

To serve:

Rye bread

Butter

¼ cup sour cream

Method

Season the pork ribs and sausages with salt and pepper. Add to a dry hot frypan and allow to brown well.

 Heat a roasting pot on medium, then cut the skin off the pancetta, and add the pot to render down, then add the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and celery. Add the paprika and caraway seeds and stir through.

Add the cabbage, potato, sauerkraut, apples and tomatoes. Then stir in the apple cider and the stock. Add in the browned pork with any juices from the pan, then bring up to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a low simmer and allow to cook for 1 hour.

Serve with sour cream dolloped on top of the soup and some rye bread and butter for a traditional Polish meal.