Those who like it spicy can add chili flakes or a small chili pepper.
Preparation takes barely longer than 15 minutes.
First, I’ll take care of the vegetables. I’ll halve the cabbage, remove the hard core, and then cut it into relatively thin strips. The strips don’t have to look perfect – after all, this is a rustic vegetable soup.
I peel the carrots and slice them thinly. I wash the celery and chop it finely as well. I deseed and dice the bell pepper, and finely chop the onion.
Depending on their length, I cut the green beans into two or three pieces.
When I use fresh tomatoes, I simply dice them. In my opinion, there’s no need to peel them for this recipe. In winter, I even prefer canned tomatoes because they are often more flavorful than pale winter tomatoes.
Finally, finely chop the garlic and parsley.
That pretty much completes all the work.
This will give the soup more flavor.
You could simply put all the ingredients in a pot with water and cook them.
I do it a little differently.
If a tablespoon of oil fits into my personal diet plan, I first heat some olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion, carrot and celery in it for about three to four minutes.
Then add the garlic.
Now add the curry powder and paprika and stir for about 30 seconds. This will allow the spices to develop a much more intense aroma.
Then I add cabbage, peppers, beans and tomatoes.
Briefly mix everything and top up with water or vegetable broth until the vegetables are well covered.
Bring the soup to a vigorous boil.
Then reduce the temperature and simmer over medium to low heat for approximately 25–35 minutes.
I like it when the vegetables are soft but still have some texture. If you prefer a very soft soup, simply leave it on the stove for ten minutes longer.
I only season with salt and pepper towards the end.
Finally, add plenty of fresh parsley.
A small squeeze of lemon juice makes a surprisingly big difference. It makes the soup taste fresher and less like typical “diet soup”.
One mistake that quickly makes cabbage soup boring
The first time I tried it, I threw everything into the water at once and barely seasoned it.
The result was edible – but nothing more.
It tasted mainly of cooked cabbage.
On the second attempt, I sautéed the onions and spices beforehand and added tomatoes, garlic, and parsley.
Suddenly, it was a completely different soup.
Therefore, I wouldn’t be too cautious with the seasoning. Cabbage, in particular, can handle strong spices.
Curry, paprika, garlic, pepper, chili, parsley, caraway or a little thyme, for example, go very well with it.
Of course, you don’t have to use everything at the same time.
Can you really eat an unlimited amount of it?
Many old cabbage soup diets state that you can “eat as much soup as you want”.
I wouldn’t make a competition out of it.
I think it’s better to eat a normal portion and then see if you’re still hungry.
Furthermore, I wouldn’t make soup the only food of the day. A varied diet provides not only vegetables, but also sufficient protein, fats, and other important nutrients.
That’s precisely why I often combine the soup with a protein source.
Then it becomes a much more complete meal.
