Grandma's secret: Pickle juice's role in perfect cabbage soup

Specialties from grandma’s kitchen will remain in the memory of many forever. Whether it’s flatbreads from the griddle or the one-of-a-kind apple pie – everything tasted better from grandma’s hands. In my home, grandma was the soup master, and her cabbage soup was a true masterpiece. All thanks to one extra ingredient.

For many people, pickle juice is considered waste and goes straight from the jar to the sink. Indeed, not everyone enjoys such intense flavours, and pickle juice contains a lot of salt, which many people need to limit. However, it is worth remembering that pickle juice can also be used as an ingredient in meat marinades, salad dressings, and soup seasonings. My grandma used pickle juice to flavour her cabbage soup.

Cabbage soup from sweet cabbage? For many, the only true cabbage soup is the very sour one made from sauerkraut, preferably homemade. However, not everyone can savour such intense flavours. And that’s precisely who the delicate cabbage soup from sweet cabbage is for.

My grandma often served us such dishes, especially when she brought freshly picked heads from the field. Wanting, however, to add more flavour to the soup, she would pour in a bit of pickle juice at the end of cooking. Not only did the cabbage soup have noticeable tangy pickle notes, but the cabbage itself remained delicate and crunchy. Remember to add the pickle juice to the soup after the vegetables have softened. Otherwise, they will remain hard.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 litres of water,
• 1.5 heads of white cabbage,
• 0.5 kilograms pork ribs,
• 3 potatoes,
• 1 carrot,
• 1 parsley root,
• 1 leek,
• 1 onion,
• 1/3 celery root,
• 3 tablespoons butter,
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill,
• 1 tablespoon wheat flour,
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram,
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds,
• 2 bay leaves,
• 3 allspice berries,
• salt, pepper,
• 1-2 cups of pickle juice.

Preparation:

1. Shred the cabbage, season with salt, mix, and set aside to release juices and soften.
2. Cover the ribs with water, add bay leaves and allspice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes, covered.
3. Next, add the peeled and chopped carrot, parsley root, celery root, leek, and onion charred over a flame. Cook the mixture for another 30 minutes.
4. Afterwards, remove the vegetables and meat from the pot. Dice the vegetables, remove meat from the bones, and return everything to the pot.
5. Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. Add the cabbage with its juice, season the soup with salt, pepper, marjoram, caraway, and pickle juice, and leave it on the burner for another 15 minutes.
6. Melt the butter in a separate small pot. Add the wheat flour and one tablespoon of broth. Mix everything thoroughly to avoid lumps.
7. Add the resulting roux to the soup pot and stir. Add dill and bring to a boil.