Cabbage is a common vegetable found in many cuisines across the globe. It’s highly nutritious and contains loads of vitamin C, vitamin K, and other vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that adding this veggie to your meals can help improve digestion, boost cardiovascular health, and decrease the overall inflammation in the body. If you want to include cabbage in your nutrition plan, here are some tasty soup recipes to try.
Simple cabbage soup recipe
Cabbage soup has great nourishment value and, of course, makes for a delicious meal. What makes it even better is that you can whip up a simple soup with less effort and few ingredients, and it’ll still taste absolutely delicious. All you need for this recipe is some fresh cabbage, onions, tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), a little chicken stock, and some spices based on your taste. Most of these ingredients are available at all stores and are also affordable.
Start by grinding spices like coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds in either a pestle and mortar or a grinder. Then sauté the ground spices. Take some olive oil in another pot and add chopped onions, a small amount of butter, and the saluted spices. After the onions turn soft and brown, drop some sliced cabbage into the pot and mix well. Add salt according to taste and add the tomatoes and their juices. Lastly, add the chicken stock, mix well, lower the heat, and cover the pot until the cabbage is thoroughly cooked. Serve hot and fresh. Feel free to add spices as garnish before serving.
Cabbage soup with veggies
A simple cabbage soup is excellent for a cold or a lazy day. But if you want to switch things up, try this recipe packed with veggies. All you need are basic ingredients, such as garlic, herbs, vegetable broth, olive oil, diced tomatoes, and other veggies as per your taste.
To begin, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a pot for around five minutes. You can use olive oil for this. Then add the spices and the garlic, followed by the fresh chopped cabbage. Let it sit for around five minutes or until the cabbage turns soft. Don’t forget to keep stirring to avoid any burning of the cabbage. Next, pour the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes and let the mixture stew for around ten minutes. And you’re done! You now have fresh veggie cabbage soup. Of course, you can spice things up further by adding extra garnish, such as pepper, parsley, or some lemon juice.
Why have cabbage soup?
Cabbage soups are some of the most delicious and nutritionally dense foods. Here’s what makes it so healthy:
It’s packed with nutrients
Cabbage soup is packed with nutrients like fiber, potassium, magnesium, and more. It also has a high dose of vitamin C, which is crucial for many essential body functions. Further, it has tons of antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress. Those with inflammatory conditions may also benefit as cabbage contains anti-inflammatory agents like sulforaphane and glutamine that help reduce pain, inflammation, fever, and more.
It’s rich in fiber
Cabbage is known to have a large amount of fiber. In fact, studies have found that it has one gram of fiber for every ten calories. Fiber aids the digestive system and helps maintain regular bowel movements. This means you end up filling your tummy with very nutritional food.
It helps manage chronic health conditions
Research has also shown that cabbages help lower bad cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. Further, it helps maintain overall health and fitness. This is because it’s a very low-calorie food.
Of course, only cabbage soup won’t give you all the necessary nutrients you need; it must be supplemented with other healthy foods. If you’re not fond of soup, try a cabbage salad recipe. Before starting, don’t forget to speak with your healthcare professional to check which foods are safe.
