Last week, I attended a potluck at friend’s house. One of the items served was a delicious cabbage-based bread soup. It was cool and cloudy yesterday, perfect soup weather. I decided to create my own version for lunch.
It was a good thing too, because I was literally standing at my cutting board when Newt started sneezing. Besides sneezing, I noted that she had slept later than usual that morning and had been unaccountably grumpy. Newt was definitely getting a cold.
Health Benefits of Cabbage Soup
- Cabbage is an excellent natural source of vitamin C. Did you know that cabbage has even more vitamin C than oranges? Unlike oranges, however, cabbage is not mucous producing. Heaven knows, you don’t want any more of that when you have a cold. (I am horrified that I used the word mucous in a recipe post, but there it is.)
- Garlic is a natural antibiotic. Perfect for fighting off the nasties.
- Both garlic and cabbage are blood cleansers, helping to remove toxins from the body.
- Vegetables are easier for the body to digest than meat. This frees up some of your body’s energy for cold-fighting.
- This soup is cheap to make. What, that’s not a health benefit? Well, I always feel better when my money stays in my purse. Don’t you?
Other benefits:
- It only takes a half an hour to make.
- This recipe makes enough to for several meals.
- Did I mention how cheap this soup is? Especially if you make your own (free!) vegetable stock.
- Most importantly, it’s filling, satisfying and really yummy.
Newt and I each enjoyed a couple of bowls for lunch. When we heard that Newt’s Grandma wasn’t feeling well, we took some over to her. There was still a whole lot of soup left over. I ladled it into pint canning jars and put it in the freezer. Next time we want some, I’ll just pull out a jar and pop it in the microwave. It’s the perfect serving size for two.
Why don’t you make up a batch to freeze and have on hand for the upcoming cold and flu season? You’ll thank me later.
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium sized white or yellow onion, chopped
- 6-8 cloves of garlic, pressed
- ½ a large head of cabbage, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 8 cups vegetable broth (if you prefer, chicken broth could be substituted)
- 1 14.5 oz. can peeled and diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: cubed or torn day-old bread and additional olive oil
- In a large stock-pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent - about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to cook until onion is slightly browned.
- Add remaining ingredients (except for bread and additional olive oil). Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until carrots and cabbage are tender, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with a handful of cubed or torn day-old bread and a drizzle of olive oil.
linked with Healthy Day 2Day Wednesdays and Works for Me Wednesdays
Thank you so much for this! I’ve come down with a cold, and this sounds great, espacially since I have chicken stock in the crock pot!
Awesome idea and recipe! I’ve been trying to expand the exposure my kids get to new foods. We are fairly good at getting the veggies, but it’s the usual suspects: broccoli, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. This is a great idea! It sounds so delicious, especially with fall quickly approaching. Hope everyone feels better soon. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks extra good with the bread thrown in! I love cooked cabbage and this sounds like just the thing when under the weather or not! 🙂
Nice! With winter coming, I’m trying to make (at least) a pot of soup every week – even if my family doesn’t love it (and some of my weirder experiments they definitely don’t love), I’m happy to bring a container to work for lunch.
The one I made yesterday was quite similar to yours (except that we’ve run out of onions in the house; pity, they would have made a nice addition). Garlic (always) and cabbage and carrots and celery and tomatoes – and I also added chickpeas and curry powder (I find you seldom go wrong adding curry powder to soup) and a little soy sauce. Delicious (my son agrees – kind of surprising)..
I love hot, hearty vegetable soups in winter!