Roasted Cabbage Soup

Directions: 1) Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. While the oven is heating, line an edged baking sheet with heavy duty foil. 2) Wash the cabbage and remove any damaged outer leaves. Then, leaving the center core of the cabbage in place, cut the cabbage in half, cutting directly through the center of the core. Cut each half of the cabbage into evenly sized thirds or quarters to form a total of 6-8 wedges that all include part of the core. The core helps hold the wedges together. 3) Lay each wedge on the prepared baking sheet and lightly drizzle the tops with olive oil. Then sprinkle each wedge with salt & pepper to taste. Carefully turn each wedge over and repeat drizzling, then seasoning each wedge until all are done. 4) Bake the cabbage for 10-14 minutes or until the cabbage is nicely browned, then gently turn the wedges over and continue roasting until the cabbage is tender and deeply browned, another 10-14 minutes. 5) While the cabbage is roasting, prepare the vegetables and place each in a bowl, ready to add to the soup when needed. If you will be using the Beef Summer Sausage, it should be prepared during this step - see below. a. Peel the onion, then cut it into a medium sized dice. b. Wash the celery stalk and leaves, trimming the ends. Then cut the celery into a medium sized dice. c. Wash and peel (if desired) the carrots, then trim the ends. Cut the carrots into 5-6 inch sections, then cut each section in half lengthwise. Cut each half section of carrot into 1/2 inch slices or if preferred, into even, bite- sized chunks or pieces. d. Wash and if desired, peel the potatoes. I like using Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, both have thin edible skins, so they don't have to be peeled. Simply cut the potatoes into even, bite-sized chunks or pieces, then place them into a bowl of water, to prevent browning, until ready to use. e. For the Summer Sausage, I cut both sections in half crosswise, then cut each section piece in half lengthwise. Each section now has a flat cut side and a half round top. I place the flat side down then slice the rounded top of the sausage at 1/2 to 3/4 inch intervals so I have nice, even, bite-sized pieces. Place the sausage into a bowl and set it aside with the veggies. 6) When the cabbage is well browned, remove the baking pan from the oven and allow it to cool until it can be handled. Then cut the roasted cabbage into bite-sized pieces and place them into a large bowl; then set aside. **Cook's Note - If you will be using the Summer Sausage instead of the bacon, skip Step 7, you will be preparing the Summer Sausage as part of Step 8. 7) Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces, then fry or bake until crisp. Drain the bacon on several layers of paper towels, to soak up the excess grease; then set aside. **Cook's Note - If you are using the Summer Sausage instead of the bacon, you will add the sausage and cook it with the veggies as part of Step 8. Skip Step 7's instructions for preparing the bacon and go directly to Step 8. 8) Add about a Tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a large soup pan, and set the heat to medium. Add the Summer Sausage (if using), and brown lightly. Then add the onion, garlic and celery, cooking until the veggies are tender and translucent. 9) Add the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, steak sauce, and salt & pepper to taste, simmering until the veggies are tender. While the veggies simmer, start a roux or basic white sauce to thicken the soup a little bit. 10) Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour, quickly whisking to thoroughly blend them together. Continue whisking and cooking until the mixture begins to brown slightly and the edges are beginning to dry. Then remove the saucepan from the heat. 11) Slowly add the combined milk and cream or half & half to the Roux, whisking continually to ensure no lumps form. Return the saucepan to the stove top, whisking constantly and continuing to cook until the mixture begins to simmer and then starts to thicken. Remove the saucepan from the heat, whisking well, then cover the white sauce and set it aside. 12) When the potatoes and carrots are tender, add the slightly thickened roux/white sauce to the the soup pot, stirring it quickly into and through the mixture so there will not be any lumps. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently and allow it to thicken the soup a little bit. 13) Then add the roasted cabbage and the bacon (if you are using it), gently stirring them into the soup mixture. Allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes, or until the cabbage and bacon are heated through. 14) Taste the soup, then adjust the seasoning if desired. 15) Serve the soup with a side salad of fresh garden greens and a simple dressing, and add a warm crusty loaf of Artisan Bread. Pass a small bowl of butter for the bread and another small bowl of freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheese to top the soup with. Enjoy!!