Recipe: Rumanian Ciorba soup

Romanian Ciorba soup

6 quarts water
8 large potatoes, cubed
1 cup green beans, cut
2 large carrots, sliced thin
8 tomatoes
1 head cabbage, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 onions, chopped finely
4 large dill pickles, chopped
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
4 green peppers, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
basil, oregano, and thyme to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Add green beans. Blanch, peel and chop tomatoes. Add to soup. In a bowl, mix tomato paste with 1 cup of hot soup stock from pot until smooth. Add all back to pot and stir. Add cabbage. In a wok or skillet, brown onions and green peppers lightly, then add to pot. Cook until cabbage is tender- about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Add parsley, dill pickles and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.