Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage Soup

Somewhere along the line I became the family cook. Along with this position comes the job of cooking birthday dinners for family members celebrating their special day. (Luckily I like to cook!) As you may know, the Hebrew date changes each day when the stars come out - meaning we get to celebrate our Jewish birthdays for a night and a day! 

As the sky turned dark last night, the date changed to the 27th day of Adar - also known as my hubby's birthday - and this was certainly a cause for celebration. It was certainly a busy day as I got to work  on preparing Levi's birthday dinner. I made dinner, wrapped presents, had the kids make cards, set the table with birthday decor and of course decorated cupcakes! 

My parents and one of my brothers came over to join us, and it was a fun and yummy evening for all. We began our dinner with a sweet and sour red cabbage soup, then moved onto steaks, roasted sweet potatoes, stir fried green beans and a garden salad. As the party drew to an end, we sang happy birthday, offered birthday wishes, gave Tzeddakah and then finished it all of with the super cute funny face cupcakes I decorated. (Thanks for baking the cupcakes Yisroly!)

Now let's talk about the soup! I found a red cabbage sitting in my fridge and knowing that Levi loves red cabbage I decided to turn it into a soup.  I have to say, I have experimented with this soup a number of times - and I am happy to report that yesterday's finished product was the best yet!

Here's the "recipe"...

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage Soup

Olive oil

3 sweet onions, thinly sliced

3 cloves  fresh garlic

1 medium sized red cabbage, thinly sliced

4 ribs celery, sliced

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

Water

Balsamic vinegar

Brown sugar

Salt

Pepper

Sautee onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add sliced cabbage and stir occasionaly as cabbage begins to get soft. Add celery.  Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover veggies with water (about an inch above the veggies). Pour in some balsamic vinegar and then add a little brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer until all of the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.