This is so good you will want to serve it more often than St. Patrick’s Day. It’s nice along side roast chicken or salmon any time of the year. Try it topped with a poached egg for weekend breakfasts. To make this vegetarian you can skip the bacon, and to make it vegan, use vegetable broth.
Prep work: Slice bacon crosswise into thin strips. Cut root end and dark green top off of leek and discard. Slice leek in half lengthwise. Run leek halves under cold water to remove any sand and dirt. Dry. Lay them flat on a cutting board and chop thinly crosswise. Cut cabbage in half through the root, lay halves flat on a cutting board and slice crosswise into thin ribbons. You will need 4 cups of packed cabbage.
In a large sauté or fry pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon pieces and drain on paper towels reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in pan. Wipe the rest from the pan. Add olive oil to pan. Heat oil over medium heat. Add leek an carrot and cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Add cabbage to the pan along with broth, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and turn to coat vegetables well with broth and juices. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add bacon. Cover pan with a lid and cook until cabbage is soft and wilted, about 7 minutes. Taste to determine if cabbage is done enough for you. If you would prefer it softer, cover and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.