Recipe: Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup with Garlic Cilantro Croutons

I don't know about the rest of the country, but we are in the full swing of fall here in the Pacific Northwest.  For us, that means it's sunny and clear one minute and pouring down rain the next...possibly one of each on each side of your house!

This is my favorite time of year, food wise, because I LOVE soups and stews!  And when you have a busy family - well, a pot of stew hanging out on the stove that people can dip into as they get home from their various activities is extra nice.  This Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup is something that my mom made a lot when we were growing up and it's one of my favorite easy recipes.

Ham, White Bean, and Cabbage Soup with Garlic Cilantro Croutons
Serves 8

For the soup:
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green cabbage, shredded
2 baking potatoes, diced (I leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer)
4 ounces ham, diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can white beans

For the croutons:
1/2 baguette
4 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 t lemon juice
3 T chopped cilantro (you could sub parsley)

For the soup:
Combine onions, cabbage, ham, potatoes, and stock in large pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add beans, cook 10 minutes more.

For the croutons:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice baguette, brush with 2 T olive oil.  Place on baking sheet, place in oven, and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  In the meantime, add remaining ingredients to a blender, blend until chunky. 

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl.  Spoon garlic cilantro sauce on top of bread slices, top each bowl with one or two slices of bread.  You could also just leave the bread out and add the garlic cilantro sauce directly to the soup - it's delicious either way!