Luck O' The Irish

I don't know why, but I always feel like things should come in threes.

So tonight I started making soup and realized that I could take it in two different directions: cream of broccoli or cream of spinach. I could even let Mike decide so I didn't have to...but two options didn't seem right and I just couldn't help myself from figuring out a third option.

I opened the fridge and saw some cabbage left over from Thursday's steamed bun extravaganza and decided to offer a cabbage and potato soup as the third (and throwaway) option.

But Mike had to go and stick with his Irish roots, citing the proximity to St. Patrick's Day, and choose the one option that I had no earthly idea how to pull off: potato and cabbage soup.

I feel I rose to the challenge quite well. Maybe my Dad is right about me being "mostly Irish".

Potato and Cabbage Soup

2 t. Olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced fine
1 large clove of garlic, smashed
2 smallish potatoes, diced fine (I used russets, but some red potatoes would save you the peeling and be tasty too)
1/4 cabbage, thinly sliced (I'd say it was about 1 1/2 cups)
3-4 cups of vegetable stock (depends on how brothy you like your soup)
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. turmeric
a pinch of caraway seeds (okay, I used adjwan seeds, but only because it reminds me of caraway and I don't own any caraway seeds)
Buttermilk
Sliced green onion

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent (mine got a little past this and I had to deglaze the pan). Add the potatoes, cabbage, stock, paprika, turmeric, caraway and a bit of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft.

To serve, fill your bowl, dribble in some buttermilk and add a sprinkle of green onion.

And this is definitely a case where the garnishes are vitally important. Without the buttermilk and onion this soup is a little flat, but with I'm quite proud of the soup.