Who didn’t indulge a bit extra during these holidays? Well, I’m with you. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the wine, and the cookies, but now it is time to reboot my system with simple and clean food. This cabbage soup recipe will be a great start, so follow me while I will share this healthy recipe. I will also suggest many variations to appeal to those who want a more decadent version.
This dish is a classic Venetian recipe, and I must confess that I stole this recipe from my parents. They love cabbage in all its possible incarnations and, while I was not fond of it as a child, I became quite obsessed with it as an adult!
Why you will love this recipe
– It is a vegan and vegetarian cabbage soup ideal for cleaning your system thanks to the healing properties of its ingredients.
– It is quick and easy, with a prep time of under 45 minutes.
– You can customize it according to your mood so that you can always have a different variation.
– An added bonus of this soup is that it is freezable.
– This bowl of goodness is ideal for the cold winter months.
Cabbage soup recipe ingredients
The recipe for cabbage soup will require a few simple ingredients and one pot.
Savoy Cabbage: This is the key ingredient in the recipe. It is packed with nutrients – 1 cup of savoy cabbage is rich in vitamin C, K, and antioxidants. So why not benefit from this recipe to recharge yourself?
Leeks, Onions, Garlic & Celery: These vegetables give a burst of flavor to the soup.
Potatoes: Rich in potassium, they will give a bit of substance to the recipe without adding too many calories.
White Beans: High in proteins, they are a great alternative to meat.
Rosemary, Parsley and Cloves: I love mixing herbs and spices to give some flavors without overpowering the soup.
How to make the Cabbage Soup Recipe
This soup is very quick and easy to make.
Prepare the base: Start by heating the oil in a shallow pot. When the oil shimmers, add the rosemary. Give this around 2 minutes so the oil can absorb the essence of the rosemary, and then add the chopped leeks, onions, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften. This will take 5 to 10 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the savoy cabbage. Here is my tip on how to cut the savoy cabbage:
- You need to remove any damaged exterior leaves.
- Then you chop off the bottom and cut the cabbage in half.
- With a knife, cut out the core and discard it.
- Then proceed by chopping the savoy cabbage. If you are using the cabbage for soup, you should cut it into shreds. If instead you are making a recipe calling for whole leaves, you can easily detach them.
Add the rest of the ingredients: Remove the rosemary and add the cabbage to the pot, sauteeing for 3 minutes. Add 5 cups of vegetable broth and allow it to simmer. After 5 minutes, add the cubed potatoes and the cloves. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes and then add the beans, cooking for 5 more minutes.
At this point, the soup is ready! Plate it and sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top.
How to serve quick and easy cabbage soup
This soup is ideal for lunch or dinner. If you are looking to make this a more substantial meal, you can serve it with wholewheat toasted bread and some Parmesan cheese. This will give you a filling vegetarian bowl of goodness with rustic flavors from the crunchy bread and nutty parmesan.
Do you want enjoy this soup with a side dish? Consider the Little Green Salad, which is a light side dish, ideal if you’re going to make a complete healthy meal.
Looking for more soup recipes? Check out the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or the Green Detox Spring Soup.
How to store the cabbage soup
This soup is great for big batch cooking as it keeps for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is also a great soup to freeze; it will stay good for 2-3 months.
To defrost the soup, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and warm it up in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Cabbage Soup substitutions and variations
You can sub the savoy cabbage with green cabbage. And instead of leek, you can use onions.
If you do not like potatoes, you can sub them with turnips or with small tubes of pasta, called ditalini. That is how my mom usually varies this soup.
In terms of variations, here are some of my suggestions.
For a hearty meat burst: Add some chopped sausage along with the leeks, celery and garlic. Continue cooking as per the recipe.
For a crunchy meat topping: Brown some bacon in a pan, pat it dry on a paper towel to remove the excess fat, and chop it in small bites. Sprinkle it on top of your soup with some Parmesan cheese.
For a more tomato-y flavor: Add some chopped tomatoes after adding the cabbage and continue as per the recipe.
For a more spicy flavor: Instead of cloves use cayenne pepper. This spice will go well with the tomato and sausage variations.
For a more herbaceous flavor: Add kale, broccoli or spinach. Reduce the cabbage quantity by half.
Please let me know how you like the Cabbage Soup in the comments! I would really love to hear from you, and hope this dish will be soon part of your healthy dinner options!
Ingredients
- 1 pound savoy cabbage shredded
- 1 cup leek chopped
- 1 cup onions chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 ½ cup potato shredded
- 1¾ cup white beans
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 5 cups vegetable broth
To serve (optional)
- 2 tbsp parmesan
- 4 slices bread whole wheat
Instructions
- Start by heating the oil in a shallow pot. When the oil shimmers, add the rosemary. After 2 minutes, add the chopped leeks, onions, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften. This will take 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the cabbage (see notes).
- Remove the rosemary and add the cabbage to the pot, sauteeing for 3 minutes.
- Add 5 cups of vegetable broth and allow it to simmer. After 5 minutes, add the cubed potatoes and the cloves. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 15 minutes and then add the beans, cooking for 5 more minutes.
- Serve the soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle it with parsley (see notes).
Notes
- To prepare the cabbage: you need to remove any damaged exterior leaves. Then you chop off the bottom and cut the cabbage in half. With a knife, cut out the core and discard it. Then proceed by chopping the savoy cabbage by cutting it into shreds.
- If you are looking to make this a more substantial meal, you can serve it with wholewheat toasted bread and some Parmesan cheese.
- This soup is great for big batch cooking as it keeps for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is also a great soup to freeze; it will stay good for 2-3 months.
- For substitution and variations, check out this post.
Nutrition
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