Croatian Cabbage and Beans Stew

This soup is refreshing, crunchy and healthy. Croats usually use sour cabbage (sauerkraut) for various winter stews.

Ingredients

• half a head of fresh cabbage
• 250 g of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar, but all are good)
• salt, pepper, sugar to taste
• 500 ml of cooked beans (you can use canned)
• Vegeta seasoning to taste (usually from half a
  teaspoon to a tablespoon or more)

Instructions

1. Cut the cabbage into strips, thinner or wider as you prefer.
2. In a large cooking pot, heat the oil and add the chopped onion.
3. When the onions become transparent, add the cabbage slices and season with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle with vinegar and simmer until the cabbage is tender. I like them crunchy, but if you prefer them to be mushy, cook them longer until they’re soft enough.
5. Sprinkle with flour and fry until sticky, then add tomato paste and sugar.
6. Stir and add water to cover the cabbage.
7. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the cooked beans And cook it long enough to heat it up.
8. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
9. Serve with hot dogs or ribs or eat it with bread only
   As a vegetarian!
   Our suggestion is to try this soup with meat.

Note: will often find the seasoning of vegeta in Croatian recipes, especially stews and soups.
It gives them a distinct scent that’s hard to replicate without.
It contains a mixture of chopped dried vegetables and spices.
It’s also salty, so you may want to season it before adding the salt.