cabbage soup / λαχανόσουπα

This is one of the most satisfying vegetable soups you will ever have.  Cabbage soup is a traditional winter dish in Greece, though I  enjoy it year round! The cabbage is sweet, the dill and thyme so flavorful, and the chopped zucchini, carrots and potatoes make it a complete meal in a bowl.

The trick is to first sauté all the vegetables, including the cabbage, before adding the water to your soup.  This gives you a much more intensely flavored, layered, robust finished dish. This is a one-pot-wonder and so simple to prepare you’ll be amazed how something so delicious can be so quick and easy! Serve hot with a piece of crusty bread and dinner (or lunch) is served.

Because this is a soup and will be eaten with a spoon, its important to chop your vegetables into bite sized pieces.  No need to mince, just keep the spoonful in mind as you chop.

bite size chopped vegetables

The cabbage should also be cut into smaller squares or strips, again use a spoonful as your mental guide. Keep in mind that the cabbage will wilt down significantly in volume so the raw pieces don’t have to be tiny. This recipe calls for 5 cups of chopped cabbage which will be about 1/3 of a medium (2 – 2 1/2 pound) head of cabbage.

chopped cabbage

This is a great dish for winter vegetables.  By sautéing them first as opposed to just boiling them, the natural sweetness of the veggies just comes right to the front. The order of adding the vegetables and cabbage is important to making this dish perfect so don’t be tempted to skip or mix them up.

saute veggies first before boiling to bring out sweetness

The olive oil is probably the most important ingredient so don’t skimp on it!  This recipe calls for 1/3 of a cup of olive oil and this is the perfect amount to coat all your other ingredients and impart a creaminess to them that you lose with boil only vegetable soups.  The olive oil is your fat in this dish and the more you allow it to coat and be absorbed by the vegetables (cabbage included), the more hearty your soup will be.

cabbage soup ready to serve

And I use water with this recipe and not vegetable broth. I’ve tried it with vegetable broth but truth be told, it was almost too much flavor competition for the broth that the soup veggies made on their own.  Feel free to try it both ways and see which you like best. If you do go with broth, try to use one that is not too oniony as there is already a nice onion base in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped cabbage
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/3 cup chopped garlic
• 2 cups cubed potatoes
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill
• 2 tsp dried crushed thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 7 cups water
• 3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Cooking Instructions

Saute onions in olive oil over low heat until almost translucent. Add garlic and cook until just soft, careful not to burn.

Add salt/pepper/dill/thyme and cook on low for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and carrots, stir well to coat all vegetables with olive oil. Cook on low for 10 minutes.

Add cabbage, stir well and cook for about 2-3 minutes until it begins to wilt. Add potatoes and stir well to coat with olive oil.  Cook on low for 8 minutes.

Add water, stir to combine completely.  Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a low boil.  Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until potatoes/carrots are fork tender.

Remove from heat and stir in fresh squeezed lemon juice. Recipe makes 6 good portions. Serve hot with crusty bread.