24 April 2017

Cabbage Soup




This soup is great for weight loss. My wife has been eating this for suppers for the past few months and she has lost over 20 pounds. It is a very filling soup and can also provide a "cleanse" to the digestive system (your results may vary). Even if you don't use this soup to lose weight, it is very good and makes a great comfort meal. This goes well with Naan Bread or a roll. You can also add crumbled sausage (which defeats the weight-loss portion), tofu, or any other type of veggie you may wish to add. Be warned, this recipe makes a HUGE portion, so you will need a large stockpot or two.  
photo of cabbage soup ingredients
Ingredients for Cabbage Soup
 What you need:



  • 1 Large head of cabbage (shredded) (or 2 small heads of different colors)
  • 8 Carrots (peeled and diced) 
  • 4 Onions (diced) 
  • 3 (16 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes 
  • 2 green bell peppers (diced) 
  • 2 heads of celery (chopped) 
  • 1 bag of frozen green beans 
  • 1 can of beef broth (use vegetable broth to keep this a vegetarian dish)
  • 1 package of Lipton's Onion soup mix (recipe is here: Lipton Onion Soup Mix recipe
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil (for sautéing) 
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic (more or less to your taste) 
  • 3 Tbsp: Worcestershire sauce (more or less to your taste) (use a vegan substitute, such as Annie's Homegrown to keep this a vegetarian dish)
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 3 tsp Dry mustard 
  • 3 tsp Turmeric 
  • 2- 46oz cans tomato juice (just under 3 quarts)
    • In case you have to divide the soup into an additional pot, you might want to grab an extra can of tomato juice. This way you can add juice instead of water (I explain about this later in the recipe)
  • Salt (to taste) 
  • Pepper (to taste) 
Putting it together:
  • Dice onions and place in large bowl 
  • Peel and dice carrots and place in bowl 
  • Chop celery
  • Dice peppers
  • Shred cabbage and set aside

photo of the diced and shredded veggies
The diced and shredded veggies
  • In large stockpot, add the olive oil and when heated, add onions and garlic
  • Season onions with salt and pepper and sauté until soft
  • Add celery and lightly season with salt and pepper
  • Sauté for 5 minutes
  • Add carrots, peppers, green beans, and sauté for another 10 minutes or until fragrant
  • Add beef broth and onion soup mix
  • Add diced tomatoes
  • Add tomato juice, remaining seasonings (dry mustard, turmeric, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder), and mix

photo of veggies and spices in the pot
Veggies and spices in the pot
Now, there are two ways to do the part with the cabbage: you can add it now or wait until the carrots are tender and then add the cabbage. Why the choice? Well, there are some who say that the cabbage gives off a sulfur smell and they do not want that smell in their house for hours on end, so they wait until the soup is about done and then add the cabbage. I don't think it smells so bad, so I add mine now.

In addition, there is a good chance that once you add the cabbage, you might have to break out an additional pot. If this is the case, divide the contents and add the cabbage into the two pots. In the new pot, do not add any additional water, just use the liquid from the first pot. This way, you will only have to adjust seasoning in one pot. In the original pot, add any additional water, better yet, tomato juice, and season to your taste. In my case, I usually add a teaspoon or two of chili powder and some tomato paste. The photo below  shows the second pot I had to add.
photo of second pot of soup
I had to divide the pot, so here's the second one.
  • Bring to a boil and then simmer until carrots are almost tender
  • Add cabbage (if you haven't done so already) and simmer until cabbage is tender-another hour or so

Photo of the soup ready to simmer
Soup's on :)
  • Once done, allow to cool and then portion into storage containers 
These containers, once cooled, can then be moved to the freezer for later consumption. As stated, this recipe makes a large batch and will supply you for dinners for quite some time.
Photo of soup in containers ready for the freezer
Soup packed and ready for freezer

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