Shared by June Hersh
Shared by June Hersh
Cabbage and Short Rib Soup
Yield: 8-10 servingsTime: 2 ½ hours
Cabbage and Short Rib Soup
Yield: 8-10 servingsTime: 2 ½ hoursFamily Journey
Minsk, Russian Empire (present day Belarus)Morgantown, WVThe Bronx
New Rochelle, NY
Smoky, deeply savory, and warming, this hearty soup comes from cookbook author June Hersh’s grandmother, Rose Feiss. It’s filled with sauerkraut, fall-apart tender short ribs and slices of beef hotdogs. According to Russian culinary scholar Darra Goldstein, this soup is reminiscent of Russian solyanka and Polish bigos, which typically contain wonderfully acidic elements like sauerkraut and tomatoes as well as smoky meats. This soup is best when prepared ahead of time; prepare it the day before you want to serve it and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next day, the flavors will have melded. Skim any solidified fat off the top before reheating and serving.
Read more about June's family in "How Rose Feiss’s Cabbage Soup with Hot Dogs Became a Halloween Staple."
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs. short ribs, cut into 2” pieces, room temperature
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large head green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, ½ cup of tomato juice reserved
- 1 (15 oz.) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
- 2 quarts beef stock
- 8 large beef hotdogs, sliced into ¼” rounds
- Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation
Step 1
Start by searing the ribs. Pat the short ribs dry and season the ribs on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, cast iron skillet. Add the short ribs to the skillet and sear, using tongs to turn the meat so all sides are browned, around 7-10 minutes total. Set aside.
Step 2
Place the shredded cabbage in a 12 quart stock pot. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes into smaller pieces, adding them to the pot along with the reserved tomato juice. Tuck the seared ribs into the cabbage and top with the sauerkraut.
Step 3
Pour the beef stock into the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Step 4
When the meat is thoroughly cooked, carefully use tongs to remove the meat and bones from the soup and set aside.
Step 5
Add the hotdogs to the soup with the lemon juice. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper and cook over low heat, covered, for another 15 minutes.
Step 6
Meanwhile, shred the beef into bite sized pieces. Return the shredded beef to the soup pot. Serve hot, with crusty bread and additional lemons, if desired.
