I had the chance to buy a duck weighing about 3 kg, organs included, directly from the market. From it, I prepared two dishes: a sour soup with cabbage juice and a paprika dish. I rendered the fat for cracklings and lard. In this soup, the duck meat is the base, while the cabbage juice adds that specific sour taste. I also used frozen vegetables, without unnecessary complications.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 90 minutes
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes (portioning meat and cutting vegetables)
Cooking time: 75-80 minutes
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: traditional soup, winter dish or for weekend meals
Ingredients
- Duck organs (gizzard, liver, heart, kidneys) – from a large duck
- Duck neck – 1 piece
- Duck carcass (breast and back) – from a large duck, about 3 kg
- Yellow onion – 1 medium piece
- Frozen vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, leek, celery) – about 400 g
- Iodized salt – to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- Bay leaf – 1-2 pieces
- Sweet paprika – 1 teaspoon
- Pepper paste – 1 tablespoon
- Tomato purée – 1-2 tablespoons
- Cabbage juice – about 1000 ml
- Fresh lovage – to taste
- Egg noodles – 1 handful (to preference)
Preparation method
1. Wash the carcass and organs of the duck and place them in a large pot with plenty of cold water. Boil over medium heat for about 60 minutes. Skim off the foam from the surface whenever it appears.
2. After an hour, remove the meat and organs. Set them aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, strain the broth if necessary, to remove any foam residues.
3. Chop the onion finely. Sauté it separately in a pan using a bit of hot broth, not oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, just until softened.
4. Add the sautéed onion back into the broth, along with the frozen vegetables. Also add the bay leaf, pepper, salt, paprika, pepper paste, and tomato purée. Gently mix everything.
5. Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into suitable pieces. Return both the meat and organs to the pot.
6. Boil everything for another 20 minutes over medium heat, uncovered, to combine the flavors.
7. In parallel, heat the cabbage juice separately until it boils. Once the soup has cooked the vegetables, pour the cabbage juice over the soup, to taste (you can add it gradually, to avoid it being too sour). Stir and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Towards the end, add the noodles and chopped lovage. Boil the soup for another 5 minutes over low heat, uncovered.
9. Taste for salt and sourness, adjust if necessary.
10. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s a hearty soup that uses almost the entire duck, with no waste. The meat remains tender, and the cabbage juice gives an authentic taste. It’s made from simple ingredients and is suitable for several days.
Tips and variations
Tips
- Duck meat has more fat; feel free to remove some fat if you think there’s too much on the surface.
- Cabbage juice varies from household to household. Taste it before adding the entire amount.
- If you have large or many organs, don’t put them all in at once – the liver can give a too strong flavor.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have all the mentioned vegetables, use what you have in the freezer. However, carrots and celery should not be missing.
- The egg noodles can be omitted or replaced with short noodles.
- If you don’t have pepper paste, use a bit of roasted bell pepper or more tomato purée.
- If you don’t have fresh lovage, you can add a little dried at the end.
Variations
- The soup also works well with goose or free-range chicken, but the final taste will change.
- For a pasta-free version, you can skip the noodles.
- You can add other vegetables to taste (parsley root, parsnip, etc.), but don’t overdo it.
Serving ideas
- Serve hot, with sour cream and hot peppers, at the table.
- Goes well with fresh bread or cold polenta, depending on what you have at home.
- If it cools down, it can be easily reheated the next day without losing its taste.
Frequently asked questions
How sour should the soup be?
It depends on preferences, but it shouldn’t be very sour. Add the cabbage juice gradually and taste along the way.
Can I use only meat, without organs?
Yes, you can use only duck meat, but the organs add flavor. The liver may not be to everyone’s liking, so you can omit it.
What do I do if I don’t have cabbage juice?
The soup can be soured with borscht or tomato juice, but the final taste will be different.
Should I boil the noodles separately or directly in the soup?
The noodles should be added directly to the soup at the end, so they don’t get too soft. If you want to keep it for several days, you can boil them separately.
Nutritional values (estimate)
A serving of soup (without added sour cream) has approximately:
Calories: 170-220 kcal
Proteins: 13-16 g
Fats: 9-13 g (duck meat is fattier)
Carbohydrates: 8-12 g (depending on the amount of vegetables and pasta)
Values may vary depending on how much meat and fat actually ends up in the plate.
Storage and reheating
The soup stores well in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. Before reheating, remove the thick layer of fat if it has hardened on the surface, to avoid it being too heavy. Reheat over low heat, without boiling vigorously, to avoid breaking the noodles. I do not recommend freezing, as the vegetables and pasta change texture.
That’s it – a duck soup with cabbage juice, simple, practical, without complicated steps.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 90 minutes
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes (portioning meat and cutting vegetables)
Cooking time: 75-80 minutes
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: traditional soup, winter dish or for weekend meals
Ingredients
- Duck organs (gizzard, liver, heart, kidneys) – from a large duck
- Duck neck – 1 piece
- Duck carcass (breast and back) – from a large duck, about 3 kg
- Yellow onion – 1 medium piece
- Frozen vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, leek, celery) – about 400 g
- Iodized salt – to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- Bay leaf – 1-2 pieces
- Sweet paprika – 1 teaspoon
- Pepper paste – 1 tablespoon
- Tomato purée – 1-2 tablespoons
- Cabbage juice – about 1000 ml
- Fresh lovage – to taste
- Egg noodles – 1 handful (to preference)
Preparation method
1. Wash the carcass and organs of the duck and place them in a large pot with plenty of cold water. Boil over medium heat for about 60 minutes. Skim off the foam from the surface whenever it appears.
2. After an hour, remove the meat and organs. Set them aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, strain the broth if necessary, to remove any foam residues.
3. Chop the onion finely. Sauté it separately in a pan using a bit of hot broth, not oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, just until softened.
4. Add the sautéed onion back into the broth, along with the frozen vegetables. Also add the bay leaf, pepper, salt, paprika, pepper paste, and tomato purée. Gently mix everything.
5. Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into suitable pieces. Return both the meat and organs to the pot.
6. Boil everything for another 20 minutes over medium heat, uncovered, to combine the flavors.
7. In parallel, heat the cabbage juice separately until it boils. Once the soup has cooked the vegetables, pour the cabbage juice over the soup, to taste (you can add it gradually, to avoid it being too sour). Stir and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Towards the end, add the noodles and chopped lovage. Boil the soup for another 5 minutes over low heat, uncovered.
9. Taste for salt and sourness, adjust if necessary.
10. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s a hearty soup that uses almost the entire duck, with no waste. The meat remains tender, and the cabbage juice gives an authentic taste. It’s made from simple ingredients and is suitable for several days.
Tips and variations
Tips
- Duck meat has more fat; feel free to remove some fat if you think there’s too much on the surface.
- Cabbage juice varies from household to household. Taste it before adding the entire amount.
- If you have large or many organs, don’t put them all in at once – the liver can give a too strong flavor.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have all the mentioned vegetables, use what you have in the freezer. However, carrots and celery should not be missing.
- The egg noodles can be omitted or replaced with short noodles.
- If you don’t have pepper paste, use a bit of roasted bell pepper or more tomato purée.
- If you don’t have fresh lovage, you can add a little dried at the end.
Variations
- The soup also works well with goose or free-range chicken, but the final taste will change.
- For a pasta-free version, you can skip the noodles.
- You can add other vegetables to taste (parsley root, parsnip, etc.), but don’t overdo it.
Serving ideas
- Serve hot, with sour cream and hot peppers, at the table.
- Goes well with fresh bread or cold polenta, depending on what you have at home.
- If it cools down, it can be easily reheated the next day without losing its taste.
Frequently asked questions
How sour should the soup be?
It depends on preferences, but it shouldn’t be very sour. Add the cabbage juice gradually and taste along the way.
Can I use only meat, without organs?
Yes, you can use only duck meat, but the organs add flavor. The liver may not be to everyone’s liking, so you can omit it.
What do I do if I don’t have cabbage juice?
The soup can be soured with borscht or tomato juice, but the final taste will be different.
Should I boil the noodles separately or directly in the soup?
The noodles should be added directly to the soup at the end, so they don’t get too soft. If you want to keep it for several days, you can boil them separately.
Nutritional values (estimate)
A serving of soup (without added sour cream) has approximately:
Calories: 170-220 kcal
Proteins: 13-16 g
Fats: 9-13 g (duck meat is fattier)
Carbohydrates: 8-12 g (depending on the amount of vegetables and pasta)
Values may vary depending on how much meat and fat actually ends up in the plate.
Storage and reheating
The soup stores well in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. Before reheating, remove the thick layer of fat if it has hardened on the surface, to avoid it being too heavy. Reheat over low heat, without boiling vigorously, to avoid breaking the noodles. I do not recommend freezing, as the vegetables and pasta change texture.
That’s it – a duck soup with cabbage juice, simple, practical, without complicated steps.