Sausage Cabbage Soup

The other day when I was at Gartner's (my most favorite meat store in all of Portland), I noticed they had some specialty beer brats made up for the super bowl. While I had no immediate use for them, I couldn't pass up the chance to buy special brats for consumption down the road. So I bought a four banger, and threw them in my freezer for future use.

Flash forward to Tuesday night. I had a hankering for those brats, but I didn't feel like the same old-same old (as much as I love brats, mustard and kraut!). While I was digging in my freezer for the brats, I came across the turkey stock my sister made this past year. Then it hit me. Sausage-cabbage soup would be a perfect alternative way to enjoy the brats. Besides which, special brats and special turkey stock would make one hell of a special soup. And darn if it wasn't one of the tastier ways to eat a brat.

Inspiration: Special brats and special broth
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment: very large soup pot + a super nice sister that shares her turkey stock with you.

Ingredients:

4 bratwurst sausages (poked with fork or knife a couple of times on all sides)
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2-3 small carrots, diced
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup white wine
3 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed into bite sized pieces
8 cups turkey stock (chick broth can substitute)

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in whole bratwurst and brown on all sides. Remove and let cool. Once cool, cut into 1/2 rounds, and then again in half.
2. In remaining oil and sausage fat, saute onions and carrots and cabbage. After a couple of minutes add herbs and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.
3. When onions are cooked, deglaze the pan with the white wine. Make sure to do your best to scrape up all of the sausagey goodness on the bottom.
4. Add in potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty french baguette