A Winter-Hearty Cabbage Soup with Braunschweiger Dumplings

Hearty Cabbage Soup with Braunschweiger Stuffed Dumplings Warms the Tummy

When it's cold, you just want some comfort food. Well, what can be more comforting than a nice hot soup, with dumplings? With half a head of cabbage and a half package of Braunschweiger, it was time to get busy.  Now, cabbage, when cooked for any length of time, can, well, disappear in the liquid. I wanted a thick broth that wouldn't take away from the delicate cabbage flavor and I didn't want to have something just thickened with flour. And, I wanted to see and taste the cabbage.

So, I cleaned 4 potatoes, 2 medium carrots, and cut 1 medium onion in half with crispy skins removed, and threw the lot in a pot with just enough water to cover and slow-boiled them for about twenty minutes. When they were done, the skins slid right off and everything was chopped and then thoroughly mashed together and set aside in a bowl until time to add to the pot.

Dumplings Stuffed With Braunschweiger Add a Touch of Zest

I really didn't need alot of stuffing for the dumplings, but the Braunschweiger needed a little more body and spices, in my opinion, to make an impact in the soup. Out came the Mace, Ground Fennel, Tarragon Leaves, and Mild Curry Powder, along with 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion, and 1/4 cup of finely grated corn chex and rice chex instead of bread crumbs. I really didn't measure the herbs and spices, just kind of eye-balled them from years of practice.

The dumplings were made from a very basic mixture of flour, butter and water, and rolled out into six-inch circles. (Use your own favorite recipe.) Placing a tablespoon of filling in the center of each dumpling circle, the edges were brought up and pinched closed.

In a medium-sized skillet, a quart of chicken stock was brought to a boil, the dumplings were arranged in a single layer, and the stock brought to a full simmer. After ten minutes, the dumplings had risen to the top and were turned over to finish cooking.

Cabbage Chopped, Dumplings Done - Time to Eat

While the dumplings were cooking, another quart of chicken stock was brought to a full simmer in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. The potato-carrot-onion mixture was slowly added to the simmering stock and stirred until fully blended. Then, I added the chopped cabbage and let it all cook until the cabbage was translucent, about ten minutes. The cooked dumplings were set aside in a small bowl and the stock added to the cabbage soup, stirred, and blended.

To serve, I placed two dumplings in a bowl and ladled the cabbage soup over them. For a little spice and a touch of color, Paprika was shaken over the top. I wanted to serve the soup with some nice Pumpernickel bread but didn't want to make a special trip to the store, so I used Saltines, instead. I know, I'm a low-life, but there it is. I'm not wishing anyone any more snow, this year, but this is a perfect soup to take off the chill!  Enjoy.