Cabbage Soup

When I first started cooking for myself seriously, I was 18 years old, and broke. Like any young female, I was self-conscious about my weight, and wanted to try my hand at the age-old fad diet roulette. I started with the cabbage soup diet, originally because I felt like hell and had insomnia, so internally I felt off-kilter, and it was wintertime, and I was always cold, regardless of how I dressed or how close I was to a heating element. While I only did the full diet for a week, I was surprised with how impressed I was with the soup, and continue to make it to this day. 

The smells and textures are satisfying and rich, and the color is quite exciting for a soup, known for their browns and creams. Gabe's father once told me this was the best vegetable soup he's ever tried. There are many memories in preparing this soup for me, as I've made it at many addresses in different phases of my life for different people, so it's quite a sentimental recipe for me, i must admit. It's one of the few foods that leave me feeling noticeable re-energized, post-consumption. The kid even loves it! 

Like any soup, throw anything in it, no dairy or squishy vegetables, though. I put mine in the slow cooker around eleven this morning and it's still on high, but it only takes a couple hours over the stove.

CABBAGE SOUP

a few garlic cloves

an onion

4 stalks celery

4 carrots

a pack of mushrooms

a can of tomatoes

a head of purple cabbage

onion soup mix

a box of vegetable broth

water

1. sautee the garlic and onion, add the carrots and celery, then the mushrooms, then the cabbage. color is flavor, you want to sear all of it to release the flavors in the soup. you can do this right in the pot, for ease. 

2. add the tomatoes, soup mix, broth, and enough water to cover the vegetables (as much ass you want, really, this is your tasty broth). bring to a boil, then simmer a couple hours until the carrots are tender.

great hot or cold, keeps all week, so it's a great one-pot lunch with a pretty purple broth.