When I was a kid, my mom worked on a berry farm to earn money for our family vacations. For 3 weeks every June she would leave the house early in the morning and come home in the afternoon Monday-Saturday harvesting strawberries. Several of those years she worked with a family of Laotians and they shared a recipe for cabbage soup with her. We always enjoyed eating, particularly on a cold winter day. It was fairly simple to make and was packed with flavor.
Fast forward 20 years. I decided to make this soup for a special dinner at church where everyone brings a different ethnic dish based on their own heritage or of one that they enjoy. It turned out well enough that my DD who doesn't normally like soup actually asked to have the leftovers for lunch the next day! So without anymore rambling, here is my take in that recipe.