Soup at its best
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday June 13, 2023 06:00
A head of cabbage remains one of the most affordable and diverse foods. Think about it, soup, coleslaw, fried cabbage, roasted cabbage, cabbage rolls. There's really a lot of meal diversity.
Many times I hear about cabbage soup, it is associated to the Cabbage Soup Diet.
However, this soup is good for more than that purpose. It's a good source of vitamins K and C, as well as things like folate, fibre, and manganese, and it can help reduce inflammation, assist in digestion, lower cholesterol, and more.
Because we have more winter days ahead, it’s nifty to know how to store foods. Sometimes starting a meal from scratch is hard, cuddling up in a warm blankie seems like the best and only idea. Here's some tips I have read about on storage.
How to store vegetable cabbage soup; let it cool entirely before storing it in an airtight container for three to five days in the fridge. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to two months.
I don’t know if it’s a little weird, but I use the small zip lock bags for freezing, very convenient; they don't take up much room in the fridge. Soup is a tough one for the boys to wrap their heads around, they are like me when I was younger, because it definitely was a foreign concept. They at least get to see me prepare different ones, but generally don't have too much of an inclination to be part of soup meals...lol. It's unsaid that there will be an alternative meal for them when I make my cabbage-based one.
I recently had an epiphany though; one day a week the whole family has soup. I think this is one extra thing we can bond over, that can be exciting for everyone once they realise how diverse soup is.
You'll love this easy cabbage soup. It's got a lot of the classic flavour. Share some of your favourite soup recipes and keep exploring soups with us on the ChellzKitchen Facebook while keeping yourself and family warm this winter! Please also note that our #Mopako101 campaign is back, school lunches during these months can be slightly more stressful because you want to make sure kids have enough to carry them through the chilly days. Use this platform to share ideas on what you have in those lunch boxes and stand to win a family holiday in the spring.
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
4 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
4 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a medium soup pot and saute onion and garlic for two minutes. Add cabbage, cook and stir for a minute. Add water or stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Variation: I sometimes add one carrot and half a cubed potato. Keeping it simple is one thing. Loading up your soup bowl with extra vegetables is a great way to add nutrients, antioxidants and fibre, which makes soup more filling and satisfying. Stir in leftover roasted vegetables or sautéed greens, or cook fresh or frozen vegetables in simmering soup until tender and heated through.