31 Dec 2014 Hearty Cabbage Meat Soup

Redemption –
In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov dies at the age of 147 years, and Yosef dies at the age of 110 years.  With their demise, and the passage of years, the Jews are soon to meet the tortures of the Egyptian enslavement.  What began as a luxurious sojourn into Goshen, Egypt, soon turned into the first campaign of genocide against our people.
However, on his deathbed, Yosef assures his brothers that the redemption will certainly one day come; the precious promise of פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד – redeem He will surely redeem – was first uttered by Yosef before his death.
We hope and wait, pray and cry, long and beseech G-d, to fulfill this promise in our day and our time.  It is the words of Yosef that have sustained our people through our many exiles and wanderings.  פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד – redeem He will surely redeem.

Since I haven’t sent out a recipe in a few weeks, I thought it would be nice to share a filling, hearty and very delicious soup; perfect to sustain us during these cold winter nights!  It’s easy to put together, freezes very well, and is always enjoyed by all – family and guests alike.  I find even the children appreciate it as well.
Thank you to my mother for the inspiration for this recipe.

Recipe for Cabbage-Meat Soup

Heat 2-3 Tbsp. oil in a large pot, sear one large strip of good quality on the bone flanken, cut in chunks.

Add: one large onion thinly sliced, 2 ribs celery diced, 2 large Idaho potatoes, diced, 1 bag coleslaw mix, 2 cubes frozen garlic, 2 cubes frozen parsley, sprinkle black pepper.

  Saute all together for a few minutes.

Add: one 46 oz. can tomato juice, one carton (32 oz) vegetable stock (I like the msg-free brands), 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2/3 c. brown sugar, light drizzle of pure maple syrup (about 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup), ½ Tbsp. salt.

Bring the soup to a boil.  Lower the flame, simmer, covered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, till the meat is very soft.  Serve soup w/ the meat  Enjoy!