Beer and brats soup

OK, so it’s actually kielbasa. But it’s basically the same principle. I had a cabbage and sausage to use up, plus a freezer nearly devoid of remaining soups, so I tried this hearty soup on a recent cold, rainy Sunday. (Turns out the weather was better then than today, when it's had the audacity to pelt us with snow just in time for the evening commute.)

Cabbage soup with kielbasa

Adapted from the Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

1 quart broth

1 cup beer

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 small head cabbage, shredded

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into quarters lengthwise and then into ¼-inch slices

8 ounces kielbasa or other flavorful sausage

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon caraway seeds

Method

Heat broth, beer, tomatoes and bay leaf to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients. Partially cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 generously as a main dish, 6 if you’re doing a cup of soup on the side.

Rating: Not a wower. Not horrible, by any means, but it doesn't inspire me to make it again. It was fairly fast to fix as soups go. The recipe relies greatly on the sausage for its flavor, so you have to make sure it’s a good one. The flavor, sadly, didn't come into its own by the time it reached the leftover stage, unlike many soups.