5F Health For Life

Best Cabbage Soup

Valarie Young

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 leeks, sliced (white part only)’
• 6 medium carrots, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons McKay’s Chicken Style Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasonings
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ red chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 14 oz. cans great northern beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ large head green cabbage or 1 entire small-medium head, chopped
• 3 big handfuls of baby spinach

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot or 6-quart Dutch oven, sauté the leeks, carrots, and garlic in olive oil (or vegetable broth) over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add all of the dry seasonings, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Mix well and let cook for 2 additional minutes.
3. Add the vegetable broth, water, beans, chopped cabbage and spinach to the pot. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 25-30 minutes.
4. Taste and add black  pepper to salt if needed.

Optional:

Squeeze the juice of a half of lemon or 1 tablespoon over soup and stir. Enjoy!

Adapted from Stacey Eckert’s “Best Vegetarian Cabbage Recipe”