Sweet n "Saur" Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound ham steak
• chopped
• 1 savoy cabbage
• quartered
• cored and shredded
• 1 onion
• quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh or dried
• 2 cups cider
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 (14 ounce) can white beans
• drained
• 1 pound sack sauerkraut
• rinsed and drained
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 1 cup sour cream
• to pass at table

Instructions

1. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Add ham and lightly brown 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add shredded cabbage and stir in the onions and carrots as you finish chopping and grating them.
4. Stir in the frozen hash browns and season the vegetables liberally with salt and pepper.
5. Add in a bay leaf, cider, honey, beans, saurkraut and chicken stock.
6. Place a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.
7. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
8. Stir in dill and adjust seasoning of soup.
9. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with sour cream.