Soup!

I don't intend this to be a recipe blog, but I was proud of this home-made soup I came up with, pretty much completely on the fly and with what I had in the house (which is usually not much).



Spicy and Sour Cabbage Soup

1 L vegetable broth
10 sun dried tomato halves (packed in oil), diced finely
1 very small cabbage, chopped
1 medium red onion, sliced in small pieces
1 cup pineapple, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used balsamic because it's what I have, but milder would be fine)
2 tablespoons honey
red pepper to taste

I like soups that are sour and sweet, like some Asian soups (such as Vietnamese Cahn Chua) and some versions of borscht. This soup heads in that same territory, veering toward the spicy. The mild spicy comes from the pepper, the sour comes from the vinegar (in Cahn Chua it comes from tamarind), and honey supplements the sweetness of the pineapple. The finely chopped tomatoes help thicken up the broth and add savory flavor along with the onions. I simmered it all on low for about 30 minutes, at which point the cabbage is softened, and the broth is thickened up. There are a lot of additions or substitutions that would be lovely, including crispy fried shallots, bean sprouts, or line juice, so work with what you have on hand. This batch size makes dinner for two.