Last Night's Dinner - Local Just Picked Cabbage and Potato Soup

Because of the sheer number of vegetables I have currently in my refrigerator, making a nice fall soup keeps coming to mind when I am thinking of what to make for dinner each night. With this soup I wanted to achieve the richness, complexity and sweetness of a good french onion soup so I slowly cooked the onions and cabbage together until caramelized.

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What you need:
Serves 8
3 Large Yellow Spanish Onions Thinly Sliced into Half Moons
2 Green Cabbages cut in half and then thinly sliced
6 slices of Bacon
1 can of organic white beans (try to find beans that come in BPA free lined cans)
a little less than a Quart of small Potatoes cut into quarters with skins on
2 cloves of Garlic minced
1 bay leaf
2 Stalks of celery sliced into small pieces
4 sprigs of thyme
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups of water
Soy Sauce
Sour Cream
Minced Chives

Begin by cooking the bacon in a large sauté pan (12 inch if you have one) until it is crispy. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel and chop into small pieces and set aside.

Add onions to the bacon grease and cook on medium until lightly brown and caramelized (about 20 minutes). Then add in the garlic and the cabbage in small batches on top of the onions allowing a few minutes to cook down a bit before adding more cabbage (you might need to add a little butter or olive oil if they are beginning to stick). Cook slowly over medium heat until the cabbage has also browned and caramelized about 20 more minutes. Then add in about a cup of the broth and scrape any of the browned bits on the bottom of the sauté pan and transfer to a large stock pot and add in the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer covered for about 30 to 45 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a splash of soy sauce.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and serve with a spoonful of sour cream and top with minced chives and bacon bits.