Easy, Hearty Cabbage Vegetable Soup

Healthy and hearty for the chilly fall season, this soup fits all diets and can be spiced up to satisfy the most adventuresome of taste buds!

I developed this soup when on the ‘cabbage diet’ at one time in my life. I have read about and tried other types of cabbage soups, but this one is hearty, spicy, and delicious. It takes cabbage to a whole new level. No longer is cabbage only used for cole slaw slathered in unhealthy dressing. In this recipe, it’s dressed in beautiful fall colors and flavors.

Ingredients:

96 oz tomato juice – 2 large cans

48 oz beef, vegetable, or chicken broth – I use beef, but the choice is yours. Low sodium works best.

15 oz canned, diced tomatoes – the southwestern flavor adds the perfect kick, but Italian also works well. If you really like tomatoes, you can double this amount as I sometimes do.

1 medium head cabbage – cored and coarsely chopped

1 small bag of sliced carrots – crinkle sliced works nicely and looks wonderful when the soup is served.

3-4 stalks celery hearts – coarsely chunked

1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion – coarsely chunked

About 1 tablespoon sea salt

Fresh black pepper to taste – I use about 1 – 1½ teaspoons

Red pepper (Cayenne) – optional to taste

Finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese – optional

Garlic croutons – buy these in the produce section near the salad ingredients – much easier than making your own, and they are very tasty!

Easy to Follow Directions:

In a large soup pot combine the tomato juice, broth, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer – the mixture should be just lightly bubbling. Stir frequently to keep the mixture from sticking.

Add the carrots, celery, onion and seasonings, except Cayenne pepper. Simmer until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork – about 20 – 30 minutes. Check the taste at this point. If the soup needs a little more kick, add in that red pepper – sparingly – and taste until it’s perfectly seasoned.

Gently add the chopped cabbage – you’ll have to gently push it down into the soup as it tends to float on top. Cover and simmer until the cabbage reduces and is tender – about 15 – 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

The cabbage will pick up the flavor of the seasonings and give you an amazingly hearty and tasty soup.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve your soup topped with about 1/8 cup of finely shredded cheddar and a few garlic croutons. A slice of crusty French or Italian bread and butter, or healthy buttery spread, is the perfect complement.

Alternatives:

Meat – beef or chicken – can be added to this recipe if you’d like a bit more protein. Simply cube 1-1½ pounds of meat into ¼ – ½ inch pieces, season with just a bit of pepper only, and sauté in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the meat to the soup just before adding in the cabbage. This makes a very tasty version of the meatless recipe.

Enjoy!