Pickle juice: The secret ingredient for tangy cabbage soup

What should cabbage soup be like? Aromatic and pleasantly sour. This flavor characterizes the soup. When we make it with sauerkraut, preferably along with its juice, it's easy. Worried that soup made with sweet cabbage won't have the characteristic taste? All you need to do is add some pickle juice to it.

We enjoy eating pickles but often pour away the juice they sit in. However, this juice has strong health benefits. Above all, this tangy drink is an excellent source of lactic acid. The probiotic bacteria in pickle juice improve the gut flora composition, boosting immunity. Regular use of pickle juice can have many advantages: lowering lipid and sugar levels, strengthening bacterial flora, soothing the digestive system, and reducing digestive problems. Pickle juice also prevents dehydration and restores electrolyte balance, which is why drinking pickle juice is a traditional remedy for a hangover.

However, pickle juice has a specific taste, and not everyone will be convinced to drink it. But when used in soup, it only enhances the flavor. It can be used to enhance white borscht or red borscht, but it is especially suitable for cabbage soup, particularly if we're making it with sweet cabbage. Thanks to it, the soup will have an intense, tangy flavor, akin to soup made with sauerkraut. Such a soup is milder but has noticeable tangy notes, while the cabbage itself remains crunchy. Remember to add the pickle juice only after the vegetables have softened; otherwise, they will remain hard.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ heads of white cabbage,
• 1 lb pork ribs,
• 3-4 potatoes,
• vegetable bundle - carrot, parsley root, celery, leek,
• onion,
• 3 tablespoons of butter,
• 1 tablespoon of flour,
• 1-2 cups of pickle juice,
• marjoram and caraway seeds to taste,
• 2 bay leaves and allspice berries,
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation method:

1. Shred the cabbage, salt it, and set it aside to release its juice. Cover the ribs with water, add bay leaves and allspice, and cook covered for 30 minutes.
2. Then add the vegetables: carrot, parsley root, celery, leek, and onion. After another 30 minutes of cooking, remove the meat and vegetables.
3. Finely chop the vegetables and put them back into the pot. Separate the meat from the bones and also add it to the soup. Add diced potatoes, cabbage with its juice, and spices.
4. Pour in the pickle juice and cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Prepare a roux with butter, flour, and a spoonful of broth in a pan. Add it to the soup.