My Grandmother’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken Recipe
This old-fashioned soup may not find its way to too many Shabbat tables, but trust me, it should. Not only is it crazy easy to make, it is also comforting and incredibly tasty! I encourage you to buy sour salt—it makes the recipe (usually a butcher that sells flanken will also carry sour salt). A piece of flanken is a beef short rib cut across the bone. An English short rib is the same meat but cut with the bone rather than across the bone. It comes in strips, like a Miami rib but much thicker.
Ingredients
- ½ of a large or 1 regular-size cabbage
- 2-3 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 strips of flanken
- 3 796-ml/28-oz cans of whole tomatoes
- 1 tsp sour salt (AMAZON link)
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Cut the cabbage in half and then in quarters. Remove the core. Cut the pieces down so that you can feed them through the food processor tube (or you can chop them into a medium-size dice). Feed the cabbage pieces through the food processor tube and, using the 4-mm slicing disc, slice the cabbage. Empty the cabbage into a large pot.
- 2
Sprinkle the cabbage with kosher salt (not sour salt) and massage it into the cabbage. Place the flanken strips on top of the cabbage. Cover the pot with a lid. Turn the heat to medium and steam the cabbage until it wilts, about 10 minutes.
- 3
In the meantime, pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor until you have a coarse purée; don’t totally purée them, you want texture. Add the puréed tomatoes to the pot and fill 2 tomato cans with water and add that to the pot. Add the sour salt and brown sugar, stir.
- 4
Cook, simmering and covered, for 2 hours, or until the flanken is very soft. Remove the flanken from the pot, tear the ,eat away from the bones (discard the bones) and break the meat up into smaller pieces. Return the meat to the pot.
- 5
Season with additional kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serves 12.
Tips & Storage
- How to Store
- Soup stores beautifully! Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The flavors often improve overnight.
- Can I Freeze This?
- Most soups freeze wonderfully for up to 3 months. Cool completely, then store in freezer-safe containers leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Make Ahead Tip
- This soup is perfect for meal prep. Make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week. Simply reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make My Grandmother’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken?
This My Grandmother’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken recipe by Carolyn Cohen includes step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. You'll need 7 ingredients and the recipe is designed for home cooks of all skill levels.
Can I freeze this my grandmother’s cabbage soup with flanken?
Absolutely. This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers. The flavors often taste even better the next day.