Cabbage Soup

Have you tried Cabbage Soup? It’s amazing! Recently, this recipe has become sort of a social media craze, with many people saying that it is perfect for weight loss. This is due to the fact that this cabbage soup will keep you satiated for a long period of time.

When I was young, my mum used to make this all the time, it was one of my favourite recipes to indulge in my youth. She added in beef for protein and it was and always will be one of the best ways to indulge in Cabbage soup. And, if you’ve haven’t tried this combination, then we urge you to do so. Here’s another tip, this soup is absolutely delicious with fresh white bread that has been coated with a lot of butter.

Did you know that cabbage soup is widely enjoyed in Eastern Europe, however it has gained traction in the Western parts of the world as a result of its nutritional qualities. Many people have realized how comforting this soup is in the colder seasons. There is a recipe similar to this one from Russia, its called shchi and in South Korea, they have their own version called baechu guk.

The best thing about this soup is that you can make it whenever you want, but it is especially tasty in the autumn and winter time. It is full of nutrition, highly affordable and has a depth of flavour that has become a firm favourite amongst many cultures.

Ingredients

Round cabbage, Carrots, Potato, Onion, Parsley, Tomato, Beef stock cube, Paprika, Dried Thyme, Garlic powder, Black pepper, Salt, Olive oil, Water, Ribeye steak.

Choose a fresh cabbage to make this soup. Carrots, potatoes, and onions form the foundation of the recipe. These ingredients add a medley of flavours. With a caramelization of the carrots and the onions, the cabbage soup becomes sweeter.

The spices such as Parsley, Garlic powder, Paprika, Beef stock cube and thyme help to add flavour to the soup. When it comes to the meat, you can use beef chuck, ground beef, ground chicken, chicken breasts or ribeye steak as protein options. You can also omit these protein options and use lentils instead for the soup. And, if you would prefer a completely vegetarian option, use a vegetarian stock cube.

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients: Peel the carrots and the potato, rinse them in running water, and then cut them into half an inch cubes. Slice the onions thinly and chop up the fresh parsley. Thinly cut the ribeye steak. It helps to thinly slice it when it is semi frozen. Cutting the steak thinly helps to soften the meat even when the cooking time is short.

Gather the spices: Gather the spices like beef stock cube, paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, salt and water.

Sauté the onions: Preheat a pot on medium low heat. Drizzle the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Sauté the onions for three minutes and stir occasionally. Add more olive oil if the onions are getting dried. When the onions are cooked, pour in the can tomato and stir to mix. Cook the tomato for about a minute while stirring.

Add the vegetables: Add the cubed carrots, potato and sliced cabbage into the pot. Add water and the spices like beef stock cube, paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, water, and sliced beef steak into the pot. Stir to mix everything. Cook the soup for about twenty five minutes on low heat with the lid closed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley to serve.

What to Serve with Cabbage Soup?

Any type of bread harmonizes perfectly with the cabbage soup, either fresh white bread or crusty bread or even garlic bread, butter and herb baguette, would also be lovely to enjoy the soup with.

How to Store and Reheat Cabbage soup?

Allow the soup to cool down to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator. Transfer the soup into an airtight container to keep them secure and also to keep it fresh for longer. Another way to keep the cabbage soup is to put the pot of soup, with the lid closed, into the refrigerator. This will work perfectly if the fridge is big enough to hold the pot along with other food items. The cabbage soup can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

You can also freeze the cabbage soup to keep them stored for a longer period of time. Allow the pot to cool down and transfer to an airtight container. You can also divide it into portions and store in containers, so that you can reheat the soup quickly. The soup can be stored while frozen for up to three months. 

The most effective way to reheat the refrigerated cabbage soup is to use the microwave. It will take about two minutes on maximum power to fully heat the soup for one portion. If you wish to use the stovetop to reheat the soup, transfer the desired amount to a small pot and reheat on medium high temperature to heat up your soup. If you had the whole pot in the fridge, you can simply reheat the pot on the stovetop.

To reheat the frozen cabbage soup, it is best to use the stovetop. There is no need to thaw the soup, simply scoop the desired amount of the soup and reheat them in a pot on medium low heat. To reheat the frozen cabbage soup in the microwave can be done using the same method mentioned above as the fridge stored soup, however, it requires about four to five minutes to become fully heated.