As old-fashioned as it sounds, this soup is one of my favorites. I think of it as Jewish soul food. Brown sugar, raisins, and maple syrup help mellow the sharpness of the cabbage. The flavor seems to carry with it the grandmotherly wisdom that life is sometimes sweet and sometimes sour, but the combination balances out. This soup is especially popular among our senior customers, who remember when their mothers made it for them back in the Old Country.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups diced onions
2 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 head cabbage, diced or sliced
3/4 cup golden raisins
3^1/2 quarts chicken or beef stock
2 cups (16 ounces) canned stewed tomatoes
2 cups V-8 juice
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 to 3/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

Heat a stockpot for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add the raisins, stock, tomatoes, V-8 juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and caraway seeds. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1^1/2 hours. Remove from the heat. Add the dill and salt. Adjust the seasonings, adding more lemon juice or brown sugar, if necessary.

Makes 10 to 12 servings