Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage and Frizzled Onions
Join me tonight from 5:30-6:30pm EST to make my all-time favorite soup (or “stoup”–a soup-stew combo), Alison Roman’s Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage and Frizzled Onions.
I will be cooking alongside you via Zoom as part of KindWorks KindSoup project. If you follow the recipe below, you will make enough soup to feed your family, as well as several quarts to freeze and share. You can deliver to any of KindWorks partners (in Maryland, DC, Virginia, NYC, Massachusetts and LA) or to a neighbor, friend, family member. The goal is to build a more compassionate community in which we all can thrive.
This link will provide you with more information on KindWorks and the donation directions, as well as lead you to the recipe, and take you to the Zoom meeting shortly before the start time. All you need to do is make sure to pick up the ingredients today so that you can join the fun this evening!
Now about this stoup! I can’t articulate why I love this recipe so, so much. I really just need you to trust me. Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage and Frizzled Onions is creamy, without any cream (due to the smashing of some of the beans). It’s thick and comforting without being heavy. It’s tangy due to the inclusion of white vinegar (and the dollop of sour cream that I like to add to my bowl). It’s fresh with copious amounts of dill. And the cabbage…maybe that’s the subtle sweetness?
And about those Frizzled Onions. They give the soup depth and richness. They are an essential component and topping. The key to “frizzling” vs “caramelizing” is less stirring, more frying. If you’re anxious to get things going before the Zoom launches, I would say, slice your onions and get them into your hot pot with butter and oil. Let them start frying because to be honest, they could never be too frizzled!
And lastly, pull out your biggest pot. Remember that this recipe is multiplied for the purpose of sharing so you will be adding things in greater quantities than you may be used to. If you join me tonight you’ll get a peak at one of the industrial pots I use for Sly Rooster Soup.
I hope to see many familiar faces as this is my first go at the role of KindChef. Be kind! And let’s spread the love. Enjoy!
Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage and Frizzled Onions
Ingredients
- 1/2 c unsalted butter plus more, optional
- 1/2 c olive oil plus more
- 4 large onions thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 15-oz cans white beans such as navy, butter, cannellini, drained and rinsed
- 16 cups 16 cups vegetable or chicken broth or 16 cups water plus 4–6 tablespoons better than bouillon
- 1 head cabbage core removed, coarsely chopped
- 4 Tbls white distilled vinegar
- 4 c dill coarsely chopped
- sour cream garnish
Instructions
- Heat butter (if using) and olive oil in a medium pot over medium–high heat (if not using butter, add 1/4 cup more olive oil). Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring too much or too frequently, so they get nicely browned and frizzled over 5–8 minutes. You do not want jammy, caramelized onions, but you also do not want burnt onions, so just adjust the heat and frequency of stirring as needed.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer ¼ of the onions to a small bowl; set aside (for topping!).
- Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, smash some of the beans into the pot, breaking them up to release the creamy, starchy interior (this is what will thicken your stew). I say “some of” because we are not making refried beans, nor are we making bean pureé– but we do want to have some that are more broken down than others. Think whole, tender beans swimming in a pot of creamy, broken down, lightly brothy beans.
- Add the broth (or water + bouillon) and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the texture is to your liking (soupier, stewier, you choose) and everything is tasting nice and savory, 15–20 minutes or so.
- Add the cabbage and vinegar, stirring to wilt. Simmer until the cabbage is totally tender and all the flavors have melded, 10–15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar if you like.
- Remove from heat and stir in half the dill. Divide among bowls and top with more dill and some of those reserved frizzled onions. Give another drizzle of olive oil (or a teeny knob of softened butter, live a little) and crack of black pepper. Sour cream is also great here.