Bleh

So we get to spend the first weekend of the new year sick :) Both of us have sore throats and stuffy noses, so it's a good weekend to just stay put. In order to try to make us feel better, I wanted to make a pot of soup. I have been sorting through my recipes to put them into a new binder cookbook, and came across one that I hadn't made in a long time. I found the original recipe in the Dairy Hollowhouse Cookbook, but it was pretty time intensive to make it. So I filed it away and never made it again. This time I decided to adapt it to ingredients that made it faster and easier to make. I added a few tweaks of my own, and it came out really good. It was bright and perky without being too spicy for queasy tummies to handle. I think that this is going to be one that I make pretty often now. I also found the secret to getting my bean hating husband to eat them - he doesn't mind small ones. Bigger ones like kidney and pinto are a problem, but he doesn't mind black beans and great northern ones. I think I can accomodate that. :)

Ozark Style Tuscan Bean Soup
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
6 c. stock
2 small tomatoes, chopped (or 1 (14.5 oz) can)
1 (14.5 oz) can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 c. cabbage, cut into fine ribbons
1 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. honey, or to taste (to cut acidity from lemon)

Heat oil in a stockpot over medium low heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add stock and stir in tomatoes, beans, jalapeno, cabbage, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cook 30 minutes or until everything is tender. Turn off heat, stir in lemon, honey and parsley to combine.