Best Croatian Cabbage Soup With Pork Recipes

CROATIAN SARMA RECIPE (STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Take an entire pickled cabbage head. You'll find these on Amazon or in European delicatessens in the chilled section. Wash each leaf thoroughly. Remove the thick part of the stem without tearing the leaves. It's best to allow the leaves to drain on some paper towel or pat each one dry
• Take a large mixing bowl, and combine mincemeat, speck, garlic, parsley leaves, soda water or bicarbonate soda, rice, Vegeta, hot paprika (optional), sweet paprika (optional), breadcrumbs (optional), Salt and pepper, egg & olive oil
• Mix all of the ingredients until well combined
• You want each of the leaves to be about the same size so that each cabbage roll cooks at the same time. So go ahead and cut any large leaves in half, and also join two smaller leaves together as you go
• Take approx 3 tablespoons of the minced meat, and gently combine in the palm of your hand. Do not roll or compress as this will make them too dense when you eat them
• Place the meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf and roll away from you. Then tuck in the sides of the leaf gently into the meat. There should be no exposed meat. If there is, remove some of the filling
• Set the sarma aside, and prepare the sauce
• In a shallow saucepan, or even better, a Le Creuset cast-Iron dish, splash in some extra virgin olive oil, add the 2 diced onions and cook until transparent on low heat. Then add the 2 diced carrots, diced speck, and parsley. Continue to fry on low heat until carrots start to soften
• Add the shredded sauerkraut and create a layer on the bottom of the saucepan. Now, pack the Croatian sarma into the saucepan. They should be packed close together.
• Pour in boiling water so that it just covers the sarma. Add the passata and a pinch of salt and pepper. Every 20 minutes, give the saucepan a shake (do not stir them or they will break) and let them simmer for 2 hours on a low-medium heat

CROATIAN CABBAGE STEW ( PRISILJENO ZELJE")

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage to narrow strips approximately 5mm wide and 2-5 cm long.
• Heat water with vinegar and when it boils put cabbage in it.
• Cook for 3 minutes.
• During this put sliced bacon (in small cubes) on fat until transparent, add flour and brown it.
• Add cold water, tomato juice.
• Take out cabbage with hollow spoon, and throw the water out.
• Add caraway seeds, season with salt and pepper.
• Cook about 30 minutes or until cabbage softens.
• Serve as a side dish to sausages, pork chops, and similar meat and mashed potato.

CROATIAN SARMA SOUP (STUFFED CABBAGE SOUP)

Steps:

• Cook turkey bacon in frying pan until crisped, remove from pan to drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
• Add ground beef to pan and brown in turkey bacon drippings until almost cooked through.
• Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are transparent.
• Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Drain meat mixture on paper towel lined plate.
• Place all ingredients, including meat mixture and turkey bacon, in a large pot and cook over medium heat until it boils. Turn heat down and cook for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if it gets too thick for your liking. I cook mine 2-3 hours.

CROATIAN CABBAGE SOUP WITH PORK

Steps:

• Trim and debone pork, retain bones, cut meat into bite size strips, rinse away bone fragments and pat dry.
• In large soup pan, sauté garlic in half of the olive oil until hot.
• Remove pan from heat to add pork bones and meat to hot oil. Sear meat and bones on med-high heat until juices flow, scraping and turning to evenly brown (Approximately 10 minutes).
• Add shredded cabbage, along with remaining olive oil. Stir continuously and cook until cabbage wilts and caramelizes slightly. (Approximately 15 min.).
• Add broth and spices and bring to a boil. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 1 to 2 hours (to desired tenderness).
• Remove bones and serve immediately (or refrigerate and reheat).

GRANDMA MILKAS SODOMA, CROATIAN [CABBAGE ROLLS]

Steps:

• Place cabbage in a large pot, If you take the time to core the cabbage it will be easier to remove the leaves.
• Fill pot with water until the cabbage is floating. Set temperature to low boil.
• Finely dice the onion and the garlic.
• In a large bowl, combine rice,onion, garlic, hamburger, pork sausage,salt, pepper.
• Mix thoroughly, and form into two inch balls.
• Carefully remove cabbage leaves,.
• With the bottom of the leaf towards you, place a ball on the leaf and roll leaf one comlpete roll, then tuck the sides of the leaf in and continue rolling.
• Place all of the balls on a cookie sheet.
• When all of the balls are rolled, remove cabbage from water, Save the water.
• Chop up the remaining cabbage.
• You can either use the largest pot you have or a roaster oven, which is what I prefer.
• Place bag of sauerkraut on the bottom, add all of the balls, place remaining bag of sauerkraut on top, add the cabbage you chopped up.
• Pour in the water you saved from boiling the cabbage.
• Set Temp to low boil.
• Cook for three hours, the longer it cooks the better it tastes.

NORTH CROATIAN PORK AND SAUERKRAUT STEW (SEKELI GULASH)

Steps:

• Cut pork meat into small pieces.
• Finely slice onion and sauté it on lard until soft. Add meat and continue to sauté it until meat starts to change color.
• Add paprika and mix. Add some wine and continue to sauté it.
• After 10 to 15 minutes add sauerkraut (sliced), bay leaf, caraway seeds and more wine. Add water and brine (only if you like it really sour).
• Cook 30 to 40 minutes on low fire. After 20 minutes add flour (just one teaspon if you want thicker stew) and mix well. Continue to cook until sauerkraut is soft.
• Before serving add sour cream and mix.

CROATIAN KALE (SAVOY CABBAGE) STEW (KELJ CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Wash the savoy cabbage and cut it in 1 inch pieces.
• Preheat the water and when it boils put the savoy cabbage in it and leave it boil for one minute.
• During this operation prepare this: put lard in a pot, heat it and add finely sliced garlic and bacon (pancetta), brown flour in lard (but not too brown).
• Add ground paprika and just few drops of cold water to make "zafrig" (a kind of "sauce veloutè").
• Take out savoy cabbage with hollow spoon, add sliced potato in small cubes and water you have cooked kale in it.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook until potato is soft (10-20 minutes).
• Serve as a side dish to steaks, sausages, dried smoked ham etc.