Comforting Cabbage Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty vegetable-packed soup for healthy meal prep and cozy dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 small green cabbage (about 1.5 lbs), cored and chopped
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 medium onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
08 - 1 small zucchini, diced (optional)

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 6 cups vegetable broth (low sodium preferred)
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
16 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add bell pepper, zucchini if using, and chopped cabbage. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add thyme, oregano, black pepper, salt, and chili flakes if using.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in lemon juice if desired.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • It's ridiculously affordable and uses ingredients most people already keep on hand.
  • Your kitchen smells like a cozy dinner is happening, but you've barely done any real work.
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day, so it's a no-brainer for meal prep.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the pot when you're sautéing the first vegetables—give them room to touch the heat, not steam in their own moisture.
  • Taste the soup multiple times as it simmers; the vegetables release water as they cook, so flavors can shift and you might need to adjust seasoning at the end.
  • If you add spinach or kale, wait until the very last 5 minutes so it stays bright and doesn't lose its nutritional punch.
03 -
  • Buy pre-cut vegetables from the grocery store if chopping feels overwhelming—this soup doesn't judge, and you're more likely to actually make it.
  • Keep the heat low once you add the broth; a gentle simmer extracts more flavor than a rolling boil and prevents the vegetables from falling apart into mush.
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