Sweet-and-Sour Beef Cabbage Soup
Sweet-and-Sour Beef Cabbage Soup ~ simple and comforting old world soup made with beef short ribs, cabbage, allspice, brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Almost as good as Cecil's in Saint Paul, Minnesota!
When we lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, one of our favorite spots was Cecil's Deli. Loved that place and ALWAYS got a reuben and a cup of cabbage soup. That soup ~ sweet and sour, with tender pieces of beef in a tomato-based broth with cabbage.
I crave that soup and recently stumbled on a recipe for cabbage soup in my local newspaper that sounded similar, the food writer says it's based on his mom's version. I tried it and this sweet-and-sour beef cabbage soup is just like Cecil's!
INGREDIENTS
This recipe uses beef short ribs, which are a favorite of mine, a little onion and stewed tomatoes. The flavoring is primarily from allspice, both whole berries and ground. And the sweet-and-sour comes from brown sugar and red wine vinegar. No chicken or beef broth, just water and simmering everything until the broth has the right concentration.
Like with so many soups and stews, this soup is much better the next day. And after overnight refrigeration, any fat still there is hardened and easier to remove. I definitely recommend making it a day in advance.
Meathead loves this soup, and when he brought some to work for lunch, a co-worker went nuts and said he had to have the recipe. I know the feeling, it's that good ~ just like Cecil's. Best, Kelly🍴🐦
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Sweet-and-Sour Beef Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef short ribs
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 7 cups water
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 12 whole allspice berries
- 2 (14½-oz) cans stewed tomatoes, broken up by hand ~ or in a blender
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ~ original recipe calls for ½ tsp, season to your taste
Instructions
- In large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Brown ribs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to plate, keeping all fat in pot, and set aside. To pot, add sliced onion, sprinkle with a little salt, and stir and cook until translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Pour out/drain fat.
- Return browned short ribs to pot and add water, cabbage and allspice berries. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any foam that surfaces to the top.
- Add broken up stewed tomatoes, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, pepper, and ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground allspice (to taste). Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring back to boil, then lower and simmer until meat has pulled at least ½-inch from the bone, about 30 more minutes. Skim as much surface fat as you can.
- Remove beef short ribs to cutting board. Cut meat off bone and into bite-sized pieces, trimming any fat. Return beef to soup pot.
- Taste soup and adjust for salt and pepper. If broth is too weak, continue simmering until flavors are more concentrated. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight. Remove any hardened fat from surface. Reheat and serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
*Adapted from St. Louis Post Dispatch, Mom's Cabbage Soup, November 30, 2016
Soup is wonderful. I too, added ketchup (to taste) and added more red wine vinegar and brown sugar to taste. Will definitely make again.
Can I substitute chuck roast for ribs?
Yes, that should work just fine.
That should work just fine, a good choice!
@Veronica, Chuck cut into 1-2 “
Squares is what my mom used.
She also used kosher rock salt
for the sour and sugar for the sweet. She wound add a touch of
Del monte catsup which was made with pineapple juice.
She would make a roaster pot
at a time. It was always consumed quickly. My college buddies would dial her up to make it and go over
to the house without even telling me. Lots of Beef, Lots of cabbage and whole canned tomatoes.
Back then, she preferred The large 2 inch chunks of chuck because they don’t disintegrate
CECILS's is the BEST!!!! I recently moved away from St. Paul and have been CRAVING this soup -- I have a different version going in my crockpot right now... will have to make this one some day and compare. Love that I'm not the only one craving Cecil's cabbage borscht!
There used to be a restaurant here in Lake arrowhead, called the Chef’s Inn. Chef Walter made this amazing soup, and it was offered nightly as your choice of soup or salad with the entrée. The only thing I did differently is add one garlic clove, and bouillon, because the broth was too weak. It’s absolutely amazing and I will make it many more days to come.
Growing up this was my favorite soup, my brother hated it so I would eat his portion. I couldn't find my mothers recipe but by George I think this is it. The only thing different is hers had raisins it it so I do add a few raisins to it, in memory of her ( I hate the raisins and pick them out). Since finding this recipe I've made this several times and am making it today. Thanks for sharing.
I have a similar recipe that also includes sauerkraut with the cabbage. Oh so yummy. Even here in Texas it gets cool and love it. Freezes well. Too!
I bet it's delicious with sauerkraut!
This recipe is to die for...easy and yummy...didn't have Allspice berries found substitution was ground allspice...used 1 teaspoon...couldn't find bone-in shortribs so use boneless...bet even tastier using bone in.
This turned out amazing! Just as good as the soup I get at the deli. Thank you!
Thank you, Michael. I’m making a pot tomorrow! Love this soup.
I was really looking for that east coast Jewish deli cabbage soup that I grew up on... AND THIS IS IT. I added a little ketchup and withheld some vinegar, and I couldn’t find all spice berries, so I added some extra ground allspice. Next time I might add a bit more cabbage (personal preference). Thank you!
I know!! Nothing like it and it's so simple. Glad you liked it and made it your own.
This was so good. Everyone loved this soup. Had so many ask for the recipe. I will definitely make this again!
I cannot thank you enough for posting this great recipe! I live in the Minneapolis and the soup from Cecil's is on top of my list in the nation. My grandmother used to make something similar but it was never written down. Super excited to serve this to my favorite people.
when we moved to St. Paul and were looking for a house, our realtor took us to Cecil's for lunch. We were hooked on the cabbage soup ever since!
Add 1/2 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup lemon juice!even better
The allspice berries should come out before serving -- if you put them in a spice bag or tie them up in a bit of cheesecloth, you'll get all of the flavor but none of the opportunity to break a tooth. I also include a 2 inch piece of cinnamon (which also comes out when serving). My friend's mother made something very similar from shin bones and added raisins or currants to it near the end. Definitely better the next day, and good with any tough, flavorful meat. Just let it simmer on the woodstove on a cold wintry day.
Thanks for the tip about the allspice berries! Interesting addition of the cinnamon stick, I might try that next time.
This sounds a lot like my uncle Ricky's "borscht" (not really borscht), which I have been craving for, no lie, like 5 years. Going to give this a whirl this week, with some beer bread on the side 🙂 Thanks for the recipe, take care!
I love this soup! Hope you do, too.
This soup sounds delicious! Question... the allspice berries ... do they soften while cooking? I've never used them before.
No, not really. I think they're kind of strong to bite into, but they definitely add to the flavor profile of this soup.