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Creamy Havarti Cabbage Soup with Cheddar Croutons ~ Sumptuous Spoonfuls #soup #recipe

Creamy Havarti Cabbage Soup with Cheddar Croutons

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: over 2 1/2 quarts of soup 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 13 teaspoons of butter
  • 1 3/4 cup onion, thinly sliced, then chopped roughly
  • 14 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1/3 of a large cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and shredded
  • 45 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups fat free half & half (or lowfat milk, as you prefer)
  • 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese
  • 2/3 cup mashed potatoes (optional)
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Thick slices of bread, cut into chunks and toasted (I used our White Whole Wheat bread, but a crusty French bread would be marvelous too)
  • Shredded white sharp cheddar cheese (I used Cabot’s Horseradish White Cheddar)
  • For the top: fresh snipped chives or green onion

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop the onion, garlic, and cabbage, then heat your soup pot over medium heat and add the butter. I used just a teaspoon of butter.
  2. Melt the butter, then add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Add the cabbage and potato and stir to mix well, then add the broth (start with 4 cups) and stir to mix.
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so or until the cabbage is tender.
  5. Stir in the half & half and then the cheese. I added in another cup of broth to thin it, then I thought it was too thin so I added my leftover mashed potatoes from St. Patrick’s Day to help thicken it up. Add potato or broth to thicken or thin as you please … then add salt & pepper to taste.
  6. Now, cut some thick slices of bread, then cube them into 3/4 inch chunks, and set them on a baking sheet. Set them in a 400 degree oven for 3 – 5 minutes or until they are browned and crunchy on top, then turn them and set them back in the oven for just a couple minutes until they are browned on the other side.
  7. Ladle the cabbage soup into oven-safe bowls, top each bowl with several croutons, then add a good amount of shredded white cheddar cheese on top of the croutons. Set the bowls in the oven until the cheese is nicely melted.
  8. Remove the bowls from the oven, sprinkle a few snipped chives or green onion on top, set each bowl on a cool plate and serve immediately.