Ham and Cabbage Soup

September. Football season in Alabama means the whole state changes its emotional weather. Gloria and James watch Alabama games with deep conviction. I have watched enough of them at their house to know the games by the sound from the living room while I cook in the kitchen, the rises and falls of the crowd, James voice going up in exact proportion to the stakes.

I made the collard greens this Sunday that needed three hours. I started them before the game started. Ham hock in first, building the pot liquor slowly, adding the greens in batches as they wilted down. By the second half of the game the kitchen smelled like exactly the right Sunday afternoon. Gloria came in during a commercial break and tasted the pot liquor and said: yes. One word. The most generous one.

Lily at the daycare made eye contact with me on Thursday. Brief, just a second, then away. I did not make a thing of it. I was reading to the group and I just continued reading. But I held it. She has started deciding. The schedule is moving forward the way it always does when you give it time and consistency. I wrote it in my log. Thursday, eye contact, Lily. That is everything.

I have been writing in the blog more this fall, which is always what happens when the seasons change. Fall makes me want to write. Something about the light going different. Something about the cooking getting richer. Something about the way time marks itself more clearly when the leaves are turning. I have been here long enough now to have September patterns.

The collard greens got me thinking about the broader category of thing — pork and something green, low heat, a long afternoon, a kitchen that does the work while the game plays out in the next room. Ham and Cabbage Soup is that same spirit in a different pot: ham going in first, building the broth slowly, the cabbage wilting down into something tender and deeply savory by the time anyone comes to check on it. Gloria would say yes to this one too. One word. The most generous one.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
10 cups water
1 medium head green cabbage, cored and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt to taste (add at the end, as ham provides significant salt)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

Build the broth. Place the ham bone or ham hocks in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour to build a rich pot liquor.
Remove and shred the ham. Carefully lift the ham bone or hocks from the broth. When cool enough to handle, pull off all the meat, discard bones and skin, and return the shredded meat to the pot.
Add the aromatics. Stir in the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Add the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. Return the soup to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add potatoes and tomatoes. Stir in the cubed potatoes and the diced tomatoes with their juices. Simmer for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
Add the cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage in two or three batches, stirring each batch in as it begins to wilt. The pot will look full — it will settle. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until the cabbage is very tender and the broth has deepened in flavor.
Finish and season. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, which brightens the whole pot. Taste and add salt as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ham and Cabbage Soup — The Pot Simmering While Alabama Played