After buying a monster sized head of cabbage to make a double batch of rolls, I still had over half a head of cabbage left. The solution was the creation of this delicious cabbage roll soup! Cabbage is packed full of nutrients and is something of a super food. Loaded with vitamin C, B6, K, potassium, Magnesium and calcium, it can help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and improves digestion as well as overall heart health. These benefits are at there best when the cabbage is cooked or boiled thoroughly. As those of you who have made cabbage rolls know, you have to boil your head of cabbage to get the leaves pliable to roll with. What you are left with is a lot of flavorful cabbage water packed full of nutrients. This would normally go down the drain, but not if you use it as the liquid for your soup! I made a large batch with extra for the freezer to use up all my cabbage. I ended up having to pull out my big stock pot as it wouldn't all fit in my regular pots. The broth is very similar to minestrone soup in flavor which I absolutely love. I giggled with excitement at the taste, so darn good I'm salivating writing this post. I added rice to this batch which made it thicker in consistency but it tasted amazing without it too.
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TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Go on a cooking spree and make cabbage rolls at the same time. One head of cabbage goes a long way. Use the big leaves for your rolls and save the rest for your soup.
- Use the cabbage water if you made rolls with your cabbage to maximize the health benefits. If you are just making this soup that is fine too. Add the cabbage directly to the soup and it will cook just the same in your broth.
- Use long grain rice instead of instant rice as it will hold up longer in the soup.
- Dice your vegetables fairly small so that you can get lots of different pieces on each spoonful.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED:
- Large pot with lid, cutting board and knife, vegetable peeler, garlic mincer, and a can opener.
Ingredients:
8 Cups boiled Cabbage water (or 2 cartons chicken stock 1 beef)
3 Tbsp Beef stock powder
3 Tbsp Chicken stock powder
3 Celery stocks diced
3 large Carrots peeled and diced
1 Head of Garlic peeled and minced
2 large Onions chopped
4 Cups (or more) chopped cabbage
1 Cup Rice
2 Cans Tomato paste
2 Cans Diced Tomato's and water
1/2 Tsp Chili powder
3 Tbsp Brown sugar
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 Bay leaves
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Chop onions and sauté in a large pot. Add garlic once onions have sweat.
- Add your diced vegetables and cabbage. Add liquid from boiling cabbage and stock powders or your cartons of stock. Add tomato past, diced tomato's, spices, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer for at least one hour.
- Remove bay leaves and discard
- Add rice if desired and check spice level. Add more to taste.
- Cook until rice is tender.
-Serve hot and enjoy!
Whether it's Sweet or Savoury, let it be made with love.
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