Smothered Cabbage Stew
Yield: 8+
Smothered Cabbage Stew
Drawing inspiration from a classic Southern dish, this Smothered Cabbage Stew is loaded with veggies, a rich and flavorful homemade chicken broth, a touch of sweetness from apple cider vinegar, and the best ingredient of all: bacon. Cooking a whole chicken can be an intimidating thing — especially if you're a first-timer — but I assure you, in this recipe it's easy as can be.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 Mininactive time: 60 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (around 4-6 lbs.)
- 8 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2" strips
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 2 lbs. cabbage (green, Savoy, Napa will all work well here)
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 8 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 sprigs of thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
- Water (approximately 4-6 c.)
- Torn fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
- Place a large dutch oven over medium heat and drizzle in 1 Tbsp. olive oil — just enough to get the bacon started. Add chopped bacon and saute, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered — around 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- While bacon cooks, prepare and salt your chicken. Remove any giblets (save if you'd like!) and rinse chicken under cool water. Place in a large bowl, and season all over with a generous amount of salt — all over the surface & skin, and inside the cavity as well. Let the chicken sit until you're ready to add it to the pot. Be generous here, and don't worry about oversalting. Even if you [somehow] oversalt the chicken itself, you'll probably still need to season the final soup.
- Once bacon is removed to a plate, add your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the veggies have softened and are just beginning to brown at the edges. If the veggies start to look dry (they may or may not, depending on how much fat rendered out of your bacon) add drizzles of olive oil as needed, and stir frequently.
- While the veggies saute, prepare your cabbage. Remove any loose outer leaves, then slice in quarters through the core at the bottom. Carefully cut out the triangular core at the bottom of each quarter, then slice each quarter into 1" slices (horizontally) and 1" slices (vertically) so you end up with bite-sized pieces. Remove to a large bowl, and repeat for each quarter of cabbage.
- Add diced cabbage to the veggies along with crushed red pepper, 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and saute until the cabbage has wilted slightly, around 4-5 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze, with assistance from the vinegar. Carefully place the chicken into the pot along with bay leaf, thyme and half the reserved bacon, and pour in enough water to just cover the chicken. This was about 4 cups in my dutch oven, but could be more depending on the size of your cooking vessel. Cover and turn heat to low, then simmer for one hour.
- When the hour is up, check the chicken for doneness — the easiest method is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. When it reaches 165ºF, it's done. If the chicken needs more time, simmer while covered in 10-minute increments, checking the temperature at the end of each cycle. When cooked through, turn off the burner and carefully remove the whole chicken to a large bowl using tongs to cool slightly. Cover the stew.
- When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. Cut into bite-sized chunks. If you've never taken apart a whole chicken, this is much easier to understand with visuals. I find this video to be very helpful. Season the meat with salt and pepper, toss to combine, then carefully add back to the stew. Add your last 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, stir to combine, then taste and adjust for salt or vinegar as needed.
- To serve, ladle into bowls while still warm. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining bacon and fresh parsley, if desired.