Cabbage Potato Soup

Inger made this soup to rave reviews. Dad even said it was "edible," his highest compliment. Adapted from fromachefskitchen.com. Dad didn't have all the ingredients so no carrots, celery or beef broth in it. (And even if there were carrots, they wouldn't go in any soup Dad would be eating.) Still delicious!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ medium head of cabbage, sliced
2 (14-ounce) packages of kielbasa (pork, beef or turkey) halved lengthwise and sliced
8 cups chicken broth
1 can (15-ounce) beef broth
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes + ½ cup water to rinse out the can
1 pound small red new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

"whisper" of cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar or to taste (optional, see note)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat canola oil in a large Dutch oven or other large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 6-7 minutes, stirring often or until onion is beginning to soften.
3. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and continue cooking, stirring often or until vegetables are softened.
4. Add the cabbage and kielbasa and cook 2 minutes.
5. Add chicken broth, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, water from rinsing the can, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, marjoram and paprika. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low then add the cubed potatoes.
7. Simmer over medium-low to low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a paring knife.
8. Season to taste with salt and black pepper if desired.
9. Stir in parsley and cider vinegar (if needed).

NOTES
Whether the soup needs the vinegar at the end depends on the tomatoes. The kielbasa I used had "sweetness" to it and the cider vinegar helped balance out the flavors. Taste and decide!