This is a cabbage soup with a difference; the apples add sweetness, crunch, and complexity.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　1 large onion, sliced

　　1 pound trimmed and cored cabbage, shredded

　　10 fresh thyme sprigs

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　5 cups chicken or beef stock

　　3 Golden Delicious or other good-quality apples, peeled and cubed

　　

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter melts, add the onion and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables wilt and begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 5 of the thyme sprigs and cook for a few minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Add the stock and turn the heat to medium; stir occasionally as it heats. Put the remaining butter in a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter foam subsides, add the apple pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Strip the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and sprinkle them over the apples along with a bit of salt.

　　

Step 3

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning; remove the thyme sprigs. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the apple chunks

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.