lavender velvet

cabbage soup

lavender velvet cabbage soup

Serves 4—6

Normally, when I think of cabbage soup, I think of a hearty, chock-full-of-vegetables soup that Grandma made, just like her mother made it in the “old country.” Yummy, healthful, but not particularly elegant.

This is not my grandma’s cabbage soup.

This soup is what you serve when you want to hear ooohs and aaahs when it comes to the table. It’s gorgeous (especially when made with cream). And you’ll hear a second round of ooohs and aaahs when your guests taste their first spoonful. The color is surprising, the mouth feel is velvety, and the taste is indescribable.

Although it’s sublime with a touch of cream, it works with nut milk, too (the soup will be darker in color with nut milk). I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking that coconut cream would have a visual effect similar to the dairy cream. It will change the flavor somewhat, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 small red cabbage, cut into slices (Aprox. 6 cups of sliced red cabbage)

  • 1 leek, sliced

  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped

  • 1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 1—1 ½  teaspoons lavender flowers, or more to taste, + a bit more for garnish

  • 1 quart vegetable stock (must be light in color!), chicken stock, or water

  • ½ cup heavy cream, nut milk, or coconut cream

  • salt, to taste

 

Method:

  • Warm the oil in a large pot.  Add the leeks and onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté for about 3 minutes over medium heat until soft but not colored.

  • Add the diced potato and the lavender blossoms and sauté for a few minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the stock or water, and let it cook, stirring every so often, for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are softened.

  • Then add the sliced red cabbage and sauté everything together for 5 minutes.

  • Cover with the rest of the stock, bring the pot to a boil, and then let it simmer until the cabbage is tender. Stir every so often so that the vegetables don’t stick. Add more liquid if necessary while cooking.

  • Add the cream or nut milk, and stir to combine.

  • Puree the soup in a food processor or blender (an immersion blender might not get it smooth enough). Then return it to the pot to keep it warm. Make sure not to let it boil.

  • Serve with a grinding of multi colored peppercorns and a sprinkling of lavender flowers on top.