Chou Farçi (Stuffed Cabbage)

 The following recipe is for Chou Farçi (Stuffed Cabbage), adapted from the French recipe featured in the book French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson. It involves assembling the ingredients in a dish to create a “cake” or a moulded presentation rather than individual rolls. 

Ingredients

For the Cabbage:

1 head Savoy cabbage

Unsalted butter for greasing the pan

For the filling:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, finely diced
2/3 pound ground beef
2/3 pound high-quality pork sausage
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp allspice (or Rabelais spice)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup whole tomatoes, crushed with juice

1 large egg 

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cabbage Leaves: Boil salted water, core the cabbage, and carefully separate and cook the leaves for about 8 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Assemble the Mould: Generously butter a 7-inch soufflé dish or charlotte mould. Line the dish with cabbage leaves, overlapping along the sides, reserving some for layering and the top.
3. Prepare the Filling: Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and carrots until soft. Add ground beef and pork sausage and cook until no longer pink. Stir in garlic, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add crushed tomatoes and juice and simmer briefly. Let cool, discard thyme and bay leaf, and stir in the egg.
4. Layer the Cabbage and Filling: Place about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the dish, then top with a cabbage leaf. Repeat until all the meat is used and the dish is full.
5. Finish and Bake: Cover with a final cabbage leaf, tucking it in to seal. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.
6. Serve: Invert a plate over the dish, flip, and carefully remove the mould. Serve immediately, cut into wedges. 

And bonus: Hainan Chicken Rice

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Chicken suprême cocotte with autumn vegetables

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Traditional Soda Bread Recipe

The Chicken Suprême

Images: Instagram

Chou farci d’Auvergne (stuffed cabbage)

 

A classic rustic, hearty and well-loved French dish.

Chou farci, which means “stuffed cabbage” in French

Ingredients

• 2 large Savoy cabbage leaves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 leek, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 100 g mushrooms, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100 g speck*, finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage
• 2 slices of bread
• 310 ml (1¼ cups) chicken stock
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 2 eggs
• 500 g pork mince
• *Authentic Speck, a smoked and cured Italian ham

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and blanch for 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove the cabbage leaves and place them in iced water. Once fully chilled, drain and pat dry with a paper towel or a kitchen cloth.
2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
3. Place a saucepan over high heat and when hot, add the oil, vegetables, garlic, speck and sage and cook, stirring regularly until just softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Tear the bread into a bowl, pour over 60 ml (¼ cup) of chicken stock, then add the brandy and eggs and stir to combine well. Add the pork mince and mix well to combine. Add the vegetables and mix until well combined.
5. Line a 15 cm bowl with plastic wrap. Place the 2 cabbage leaves into the mould so they overlap and fill it. Fill the cabbage leaves with the pork farce, then fold them over to seal.
6. Place the remaining stock in a wide heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove the cabbage parcel carefully from the plastic-lined bowl and add the parcel, seam side down, to the saucepan. Place the lid on the pan, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; 

If using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. 

 

We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 

1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 

1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 

1 cup equals 250 ml. 

All herbs are fresh (unless specified), and cups are lightly packed. All vegetables are medium-sized and peeled, unless specified. 

All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

OR: Vegan Chou Farci (Cabbage Stuffed with Barley and Lentils)

How to Make the Best Chicken Soup

 By Ali Slagle

Ali Slagle is a recipe developer and regular contributor to NYT Cooking who specialises in low-effort, high-reward recipes. She is also the author of the cookbook “I Dream of Dinner (so You Don’t Have To).”

Published Jan. 12, 2026

Plonk yourself anywhere in the world, and you won’t be far from a steaming bowl of soup. And just about anywhere you go, you’ll find chicken soup — thrifty, cosy, adaptable, delicious chicken soup. But while it’s always a reliable meal, there’s no reason it can’t also be exciting. Push your next pot beyond chicken and broth with these seven simple upgrades.

1. Add dried herbs and spices

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Build flavour from the very start by sizzling dried herbs and spices in oil. Just a minute or two unlocks their full potential and helps them travel through the soup. As for what to use, sift through your jars and see what appeals. You can lean any way you’d like: Go earthy with turmeric, paprika and annatto seeds, as in Ham El-Waylly’s locro de gallina, or herbaceous with dried rosemary, oregano and crushed red pepper, as in Sarah DiGregorio’s lemony Greek chicken, spinach and potato stew.

2. Use broth instead of water

Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Have you ever had a bowl of pasta cooked in chicken broth? That simple soup demonstrates how a little broth can accomplish so much. Using store-bought or homemade broth instead of water ensures your soup will be savoury and chickeny, regardless of how little it simmers or what else is in the soup.

3. Switch up the vegetables

Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Vegetables are typically used in soup in two ways: in small bits, cooked to build the foundation (your garlic and onions), and in larger chunks, to bulk it up. Both ways let you use up whatever vegetables or fresh aromatics you have on hand: ginger, lemongrass, chiles, mushrooms, radishes, and squash. The list goes on, so get going.

4. Throw a bay leaf into the pot

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.

Chicken soup is all about soothing, and a bay leaf (or two) can help with that. The slender leaf’s soft-spoken herbiness isn’t as bold as rosemary or oregano — rather, it slips into the background. Think of it as more like some cooked-down onion than an herb: You’ll notice it isn’t there, even if you can’t pinpoint what exactly is missing.

5. Use cooked chicken

Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Chicken soup can be a long game (starting with a whole chicken, simmering it for hours and hours) or it can be hungry-right-this-second fast. If a speedy soup is what’s on the menu, use store-bought broth (see above) and cooked chicken. Cubed or shredded from a rotisserie or leftovers, it needs just three to five minutes in the soup to reheat. Any longer, and it can become tough.

6. Swirl in a pat of butter

Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

On days that call for a bit of softness, or when a soup seems thin or otherwise lacking, stir in a pat of butter to the finished soup. It will melt into the broth, adding richness, body and a velvet sheen (much like it does in a pan sauce). The fat contributes a subtle creaminess without being heavy.

7. Finish it with fistfuls of chopped herbs

Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

Just as a splash of vinegar enhances chilli, fresh herbs bring out the best of chicken soup’s soft, simmered flavours. Add finely chopped soft-stem herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley or chives at the end so their flavours stay bright. And you bought a whole bunch, so be generous: Use around a third of a cup, or even up to a full cup.

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Baked Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls

High-protein, lightly sweet, and oven-baked to creamy-custardy perfection—ideal for make-ahead breakfasts or a cozy weekend brunch.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3)

1½ cups cottage cheese (full-fat or low-fat) 

2 large eggs 

¼ cup milk (dairy or almond milk) 

2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste) 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

½ tsp cinnamon 

Pinch of salt 

1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries 

¼ cup rolled oats (optional, for a heartier bowl) 

2 tbsp chopped almonds or walnuts (optional) 

- Method 

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. 

Lightly grease 2–3 oven-safe ramekins or small baking bowls. 

- Blend the Base 

In a blender or food processor, blend cottage cheese, eggs, milk, honey/maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and creamy. (Blending removes curds and gives a cheesecake-like texture.) 

- Assemble 

Divide blueberries between the bowls. 

Sprinkle oats and nuts over the berries if using. 

Pour the cottage cheese mixture evenly on top. 

- Bake 

Place bowls on a baking tray. 

Bake 25–30 minutes, until set in the center and lightly golden on top.

- Cool & Serve 

Let cool for 5–10 minutes (it firms up as it rests). 

Serve warm or chilled. 

- Topping Ideas 

Extra fresh blueberries 

A drizzle of honey or maple syrup 

Greek yogurt or nut butter 

Lemon zest for brightness 

 

Variations: 

High-Protein: Add 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (reduce milk slightly)