There was once a little Jewish diner tucked right on the corner of Spadina and College in Toronto, the kind of place you could walk past a hundred times without noticing, unless you happened to catch the warm glow behind its perpetually fogged‑up windows. Inside, it was tiny, unpretentious, and absolutely perfect for a winter lunch. They served a Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup that felt like a hug in a bowl, rich, tangy, a little sweet, and impossibly comforting.
One taste of that first spoonful and I knew it was something truly special. I liked the soup so much that I recreated it, chopping, simmering, tasting until it matched the memory.
It’s interesting how this soup brings back fond memories for many people and some have written to me to say, “This reminds me of…” and then comes a story. Someone’s grandmother’s kitchen, a favorite café from years ago, a snowy afternoon from childhood. It’s one of those dishes that seems to unlock memories for many that were tucked away.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil for searing beef
- 1 lb beef short ribs or beef shank
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 large onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small head cabbage cored and thinly sliced
- 1 18 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup passata or tomato sauce
- 2 quarts beef stock
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
Instructions
- Gather ingredients before starting the recipe.
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat.
- Add 1 lb beef short ribs or beef shank and sear both sides until the beef loses it's color and starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove seared beef to a plate and reserve.
- Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to the stock pot and add 2 large onions, thinly sliced and generously season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Thinly slice 1 small head cabbage and add to sautéed onions.
- Return seared beef to stock pot, add 1 18 oz can chopped tomatoes and 1 cup passata or tomato sauce. Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add 2 quarts beef stock, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.
- Cover stock pot with the lid propped open with a wooden spoon and simmer the soup for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Cool soup to room temperature then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, degrease the soup and gently reheat. Remove the beef and cut into bite sized pieces, then return to the soup.
- Add 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cider vinegar and taste for seasoning. The soup should taste sweet and sour and should be quite thick.
Such an easy and authentic recipe. I added garlic, a touch of rose vinegar, and pimento powder for a little extra tang. Paprika would be good for the Hungarian style.
That sounds like an interesting twist! I added ketchup to bring in both flavor and color, so I don’t always stick to the classic ingredients. Your additions might give it a unique flavor. It’s always fun to see how a recipe can be adapted in different ways. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! I’ve been searching for years for a recipe that would be very similar to my late father’s cabbage soup and this is it!! I like my Sweet and Sour Cabbage soup a bit more on the sweet side, so I upped the brown sugar a bit, added one carrot and one celery stalk, and it’s absolutely delish! My father passed away 20 years ago and it’s like he’s making me a comfort bowl of soup again in his kitchen. Not gonna lie, the memory made me cry a bit! Thank you!
Thank you MonaRose for the lovely comment. I appreciate you taking the time to share your heartfelt memories of your father making this soup and to let me know that my recipe was so close to the way that he used to make it.
My soup came out absolutely delish. It has been 50 years since I had my grandmothers Beef Borscht, and I am not 100% sure it’s the same. But it doesn’t matter as it tastes wonderful. Thank you for the easy recipe. It was my plan to make it in my crockpot, but there was way too much soup for it.
Hurray! So glad that you enjoyed and it brought back good memories.
Can I make this recipe in a crock pot?
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for reaching out. I personally have not tried making this in a crock pot but don’t see any reason not to use one. I would suggest that you brown the beef and the onions before you add the rest of the ingredients and then cook as you would normally cook in your crockpot. Gently simmering and cooking in a crock pot should yield the same results. Please let me know how it worked out.
I have another recipe which would be ideal for the crock pot, give my White Bean Chicken Chili Soup a try, just had it for lunch today!