“Peter lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.”― Beatrix Potter

 

I’ve already blogged on my love for other greens and salads.  Cabbage wasn’t always a favorite. I think it’s taken a while for me to find a place for it in my diet.  Matthew loves cabbage, his family pours some weird hot vinegar on it and eat it. Maybe I’ll get him to blog on that recipe.

Cabbage is a leafy vegetable from the wide family of “brassicas”. It is grown annually, and we eat its dense green or purple leaves in many different dishes.  No one really knows the history of cabbage. The common theory is that the western cabbage was domesticated in Europe around 3,000 years ago from its wild predecessors.  The cabbage wild ancestors had thick leaves that retained water which allowed them to survive in colder places with less water.

Cabbage is such a healthy food!  I think entire diets were based off cabbage in the 1980s.  But it’s almost 2020, we are eating a healthy balanced diet and taking good care of our bodies.  

Some of the Health Benefits of Cabbage

• Cabbage is low in calories, high in micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron and riboflavin.
• Cabbage is high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols and sulfur compounds
• Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage contains many different antioxidants that have been shown to reduce inflammation.
• Cabbage is full of vitamin C.
• The fiber in cabbage improves digestion.
• Cabbage may keep your heart healthy and lower blood pressure.
• Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin K.

Read More about the Health Benefits of Cabbage on Healthline. 

 

I’m from the South.  We eat collards and black eyed peas for New Years Day.  But many people around the world eat Cabbage Soup. Cabbage is another “good luck” vegetable that is consumed on New Year’s Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity. Cabbage is representative of paper money!    My plan is to save money in 2020, this soup is friendly for your body and wallet.  So I will be making this often! 

Cabbage Soup Recipe (vegetarian)

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time- 30 minutes

Total Time- 35 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ head of a small cabbage, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 14.5 ounce can of seasoned stewed tomatoes

 

Cabbage Soup Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive over over medium high heat. Cook the onions until they are tender and transparent. Add garlic and cook one additional minute. 
2. Add in the broth, salt, pepper, cabbage, carrots, celery and stewed tomatoes and bring to a boil. 
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. 

Preparation Tips – 

1. You can adjust the consistency of this soup by adding more cabbage or veggies if you want it chunkier OR adding more broth.
2. Sauteeing the onions ahead of time really takes the flavor of the soup up a notch, don’t skip this step! 
3. This soup warms up very nicely, so make double for a crowd! 
4. I love serving this soup with crusty rolls and a side garden salad. 
5. Chopped Parsley makes a beautiful presentation without taking away or competing with the flavor. 

 

Some other Delicious Ways to Use Cabbage and some Delicious Cabbage Recipes – 

Grilled Cabbage from Bon Appetit

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Delish

Cabbage and Carrot Potstickers from Cooking Light

 

1 cup of Raw Green Cabbage Nutrition Fact

• Calories: 22
• Protein: 1 gram
• Fiber: 2 grams
• Vitamin K: 85% of the RDI
• Vitamin C: 54% of the RDI
• Folate: 10% of the RDI
• Manganese: 7% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
• Calcium: 4% of the RDI
• Potassium: 4% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 3% of the RDI

Enjoyed this recipe? I’ve teamed up with some other awesome food mom bloggers to bring you a variety of new soups to try with your family.

Ultimate Taco Soup by Not So Supermama Vs. Society

Chicken Noodle Soup by Midkid Mama

Easy Roasted Vegetable Soup by For Mommy’s Dragons

Pumpkin Chorizo Soup from Mother in the Mountains

Butternut Squash Ginger soup from Fort Birthday