Cheer Up Charlie Winter Warmer Recipe

Partly inspired by Indira's excellent Saucy Onion and partly the result of a very uncomfortable sleepless night, here is my 'Cheer Up Charlie Winter Warmer' recipe, also known as 'Colonic Irrigation For Those On A Budget'. If you ever watched the original version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, (and hopefully fast-forwarded through the torture of said song) you may recall Charlie and his bed-sharing grandparents survived on cabbage and Wonka Bars. My soup pays homage, sans the golden ticket...

INGREDIENTS

1 x cabbage
1 x onion
Garlic cloves (however many you like, depending on the evening's plans)
Chilli
Paprika
Assorted root vegetables found in the fridge / cupboard
Salt + pepper
Water
Random stock cubes purchased at the market (I like these because they have pictures. I assume one is chicken and one mushroom. For obvious reasons).


DIRECTIONS

1. Head to local store.
2. Recoil in horror at sheep's heads sitting in open fridge type contraption.



3. Bypass sheep and find a nice head of cabbage instead.



4. Head home and assess fridge and cupboard situation. Usually there will be a random potato or carrot floating around. Peel and chop those suckers. Chop up the onion + garlic too, then fry them with some chilli. Chuck in the chopped cabbage and random vegetables, give them a quick fry, then throw in boiling water, stock cubes, paprika and whatever else takes your fancy.

5. If you want to give the soup a decidedly Mongolian edge, consider throwing some buuz into the mix. The Buckets would lose their Wonkafied minds over these things. While the soup is doing the business on one hot plate, steam some pre-bought mutton dumplings on the other. If you don't own a steamer, never fear - a strainer can serve more than one purpose.



6. Throw the buuz into the soup when it's fully cooked, stir + serve. A tasty winter treat for those on a budget / living in a country where a tomato probably costs more than a whole sheep.