Hearty and Healthy: Discover the Delicious Mediterranean Diet Cabbage Soup

Looking for a comforting, healthy, and low-calorie meal? This Mediterranean diet cabbage soup recipe is a perfect choice! Hearty, rustic, and satisfying, this vegan cabbage soup is prepared Mediterranean-style with loads of vegetables, tasty aromatics, and a few warm spices. A splash of lemon juice and some fresh herbs, stirred in at the very end, take this vegetable and cabbage soup to a whole new level of delicious.

Why Cabbage Soup?

Cabbage soup ticks all the boxes for comforting, healthy, and low-calorie. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish that is easy to adapt to your preferences. This dish delivers a comforting flavor in a light, nutrient-rich, vegan form.

Health Benefits of Cabbage

If you didn’t know, cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse and one of my favorite anti-inflammatory, low-carb veggies to keep in rotation. Not only is this cruciferous vegetable easy on the wallet, but it’s chock-full of health benefits!

• Great for digestion: Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, in a good way.
• Helps with weight loss: Because cabbage is low in calories, the “cabbage soup diet” has been known to help shed a few pounds.

Key Ingredients for Mediterranean Cabbage Soup

This recipe uses simple ingredients to create a vibrant and flavorful soup. Here’s a breakdown of the key components:

• Olive oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin variety for the best flavor and antioxidant-boost.
• Onion and garlic: These bring a sweet and savory depth of flavor.
• Green cabbage: Substitute with Napa cabbage or savoy cabbage if preferred. Shredded thinly, it wilts into the broth nicely.
• Canned diced tomato: Adds brightness, sweetness, and texture. You can substitute canned whole tomatoes for a more rustic vibe.
• Vegetable Broth: The recipe calls for vegetable broth, but if you prefer a more brothy soup, feel free to add extra.
• Parsley and green onion: Add freshness.
• Aleppo pepper: Adds a mild and bright kick.
• Spices: A few spices can take it from bland to delicious while even upping the nutrition value!

Mediterranean Cabbage Soup Recipe

This recipe is designed to be flexible and adaptable. Feel free to adjust the ingredients and seasonings to suit your taste.

Read also: A Review of the Mediterranean Diet in Kidney Disease

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup chopped parsley leaves
• 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced (both white and green parts)
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• Lemon zest and lemon juice to taste

Instructions:

1. Sauté the aromatics: In a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with a lid, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant (adjust the heat as necessary to make sure the garlic does not burn).
2. Soften the veggies: Add the cabbage, celery, carrots, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened somewhat, about 5 to 7 minutes (it helps to cover the pot partway so that the cabbage will wilt easily).
3. Season: Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper and toss to coat the vegetables with the spices.
4. Simmer: Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices) and the broth. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot part way allowing just a small opening at the top. Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Finish and serve: Turn the heat off and stir in the parsley, chopped green onions, ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice.
6. Once transferred to serving bowls, top the cabbage soup with a drizzle of Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil. And if you like heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with warm pita or your favorite crusty whole wheat bread.

Other Cooking Methods

This cabbage soup can be prepared using various methods, each offering a slightly different flavor and convenience.

Crock-Pot Cabbage Soup

For a hands-off approach, the crock-pot is an excellent choice. It allows the flavors to meld together beautifully, and the cabbage becomes perfectly tender.

Instructions:

1. Place carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart crock-pot.
2. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
3. Add spices, bay leaf, tomato sauce, and broth.
4. Cover the crock-pot (or slow cooker) and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
5. Transfer soup to serving bowls and top with a generous drizzle of Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, if you like.

Instant Pot Cabbage Soup

If you're short on time, the Instant Pot is a great option. It significantly reduces the cooking time while still delivering a delicious and flavorful soup.

Instructions:

1. Follow steps 1-3 of the Crock-Pot method.
2. Lock the lid and set on high for a total time of 15 minutes, then let the pot naturally release (another 15-20 minutes.)
3. When done, remove the lid and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh dill.

Tips and Variations

This cabbage soup recipe is incredibly versatile. Here are a few ideas to customize it to your liking:

• Make it meaty: You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, or any ground meat such as ground chicken or ground beef.
• Add in a vegan protein: Substitute the ground beef with plant-based protein or beans like chickpeas or lentils.
• Load it up with extra vegetables: Whatever veggies you have on hand, toss them in! You can also add extra vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, or bell peppers for more depth of flavor.
• Make it heartier: For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice, similar to my stuffed pepper soup! If you prefer, you can substitute the rice with orzo pasta for a different texture and a quicker cooking time.
• Add more flavor: Add a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.

Serving Suggestions

This vegan cabbage soup is hearty enough on its own, you don’t need any sides.

Read also: Delicious Mediterranean Recipes

• Bread: A quick-rising fresh bread, like simit or challah, is a special treat.
• Serve with warm pita or your favorite crusty whole wheat bread.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

• Storage: Allow to cool, then store in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store leftover cabbage soup in air-tight containers in the fridge for 4 days or so.
• Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze leftovers for a month or longer! Thaw frozen soup in your refrigerator overnight. I love keeping a few servings stored in my freezer, especially in this Souper Cubes tray.

The 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet

This soup is also called wonder soup, weight loss soup, miracle soup, and Weight Watchers soup. The unlimited soup rule drew many to the 7-day cabbage soup diet. The diet involves eating unlimited quantities of cabbage soup along with specific foods each day for seven days.

The Eating Plan

• Day 1: Eat nothing but fruit today (except for bananas) and as much of the diet cabbage soup as you’d like. You should try to stick with fruits that have lower sugar content, such as apples and blueberries.
• Day 2: Eat nothing but vegetables (except corn or other starchy veggies). However, you get to start the day with a baked potato (russet or sweet).
• Day 3: Today, you eat fruits AND veggies (except bananas, corn, and other starchy vegetables). You also don’t get a potato today, which sucks!
• Day 4: Today, you eat only bananas and milk/yogurt. This day is the DUMBEST day by far. I hate it. You can just have bananas and milk or unsweetened yogurt.
• Day 5: Today, eat only tomatoes (6-8) and protein like fish, turkey, and chicken.
• Day 6: Today, it’s protein and veggies- Unlike yesterday, you can have other vegetables besides tomatoes.
• Day 7: Today, it’s just fruits, vegetables, and juices. Booo!!!!!

Considerations

• Hydration: Don’t forget you MUST drink eight glasses of water each day.
• Broth: Use chicken or vegetable broth with seasoned canned tomatoes, which has never hindered weight loss.
• Seasoning: Throughout the diet, you can also use salt (very lightly), pepper, lots of herbs and seasonings, olive oil, and a small amount of butter on potato days.

Important Notes

• Consult a doctor: As always, consult a doctor before drastically reducing your calorie intake.
• Limit: It’s not recommended to do this beyond seven days. Your body will start to hold on to weight if you cut it’s calories too much for an extended period.
• Exercise: Not recommended. Your calories are minimal on the cabbage soup diet. Do not work out for the seven days while on this plan or a few days afterward.

Read also: Mediterranean Diet, Instant Pot Style

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