This recipe begins with an asterisk for a reason. Eating Well Magazine named this soup after the infamous Cabbage Soup diet popular in the 1980's. Dieters consumed lots of cabbage soup and were promised a weight loss of up to 10 pounds in seven days. Of course, that wasn't true. If anything, dieters lost a lot of water weight during that dismal week because they ate so much soup.
You may ask why I've posted this recipe in the first place. Eating Well, which is a reputable magazine and website, likely offered it to help people in their weight loss journey. Much like WW's legendary Zero Point Soup, it's loaded with vegetables, fiber and nutrients and contains very few calories. I made it last weekend and had soup for lunch during the week. I froze leftovers in plastic containers for later. A bowlful for lunch filled me up and left room (and WW Points) for a guilt-free afternoon snack.
The key to making Cabbage Soup not only palatable but tasty is to season it amply. Don't leave out the Italian Seasoning or the white wine vinegar. And feel free to customize your soup. I added a can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans to make it even more filling. I also sprinkled each bowl with a Tbsp. of grated Parmesan.
Hey, you may find that after a week of adding a bowl of cabbage soup to your everyday meals, you've lost a pound or two! I'd say that's a win-win!
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
8 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 medium head cabbage, halved and sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tsp. white-wine vinegar
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add broth, cabbage and tomato; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar
Serves 6
Serving size: 2 cups