Hearty Cabbage Soup
the king of Jewish Soups

The repertoire of Jewish soups include more than chicken soup. I call this the "king" of soups because it is really my family's favorite. The key is browning the bones first. It gives the broth an unparalleled richness, and is economical too. If you add some leftover brisket, corned beef or bits of roast you'll have a hearty, filling meal.

2 beef bones

10 cups water

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large potato, large dice

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

juice of one lemon, about 3 tablespoons

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 head or 2 (?8 ounce) bags thinly shredded cabbage, about 4 cups

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bones on a foil lined baking pan and roast for one hour. Remove from oven, drain off grease.

2. Place roasted bones in a medium soup pot. Add all ingredients except cabbage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

3. Add cabbage and simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

To lighten the fat content, cool soup after step 2, refrigerate until fat congeals on top and skim. Go to step 3.