My grandma’s delicious ‘Cure-All’ Cabbage soup (a.k.a Hug in a bowl) can heal just about anything, including sadness! Vegan + Gluten-free!
Ok, so even though I say ‘cabbage soup’, there’s a lot more going on in here than just cabbages. This soup has always been a little nostalgic for me, because it’s a family recipe that comes out only when one of us falls sick. So to me, this soup reminds me of all the times I was sick, and everyone at home were bending over backwards helping me feel better! There are perks to being the first-born, ladies and gentleman, and I milked that cow as much as I can. Still do! I have no shame!
I’m not 100% sure if it’s the soup’s healing properties, the warmth of the broth, or if it was purely the magic of ‘love’, but I always felt instantly better after a bowl of this. My grandmother would also add chicken to this soup, so if you want to, know that it also doubles as an excellent chicken soup!
Just remember, eat it as hot as you can handle without hurting yourself! The hotter, the better! Literally melts the cold off of ya! Snap! And amp up the ground black pepper, and you will literally feel your blocked nose clearing out!
What makes this Cabbage soup special?
Turmeric
Anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immunity booster and a natural digestive – need I say more? Besides fighting your cold while reversing aging (multi-tasking much?) it also relieves cough!
Cinnamon
Another spice used for centuries in home remedies for cold and flu, Cinnamon also helps with bad breath, migraines, headaches, toothaches and more!
Black pepper
Besides pumping up the heat, it is also a great digestive, and helps flush toxins from your body (which you’ll have a lot of, what with medication and your body fighting the infection). It also helps you breathe-easy by breaking up mucous and phlegm. And one more, very curious property of black pepper is that it helps your body absorb and retain more nutrition from your food. And when you are fighting an infection, your body needs all the help it can get!
Cabbage
Did you know that Cabbages have more Vitamin C than Oranges? Me neither, but turns out, they do! Hence, they effectively combat against colds by fortifying your immunity!
Garlic
Most people are deterred by the smell, but I actually LOVE it! Besides being an excellent promoter of gut-flora (the ‘good’ bacteria that keeps your intestines well-oiled and working right!), it is also a good toxin-flush, and bio-availability agent (better nutrient absorption)!
Fennel
A bout of cold and flu is almost always accompanied by a bad stomach. Although just a pinch, fennel will aid you with digestive disorders in addition to boosting immunity.
There are a few more ingredients in the soup, but you get the general idea! It’s ALL good!
Recycling Note
I prefer drinking this magical Cabbage soup clear (sans most of the vegetables), so if you’re like me, do that but DON’T throw away the vegetables at the bottom. My mother (a.k.a The freakin’ Queen of Recycling) suggests recycling the vegetables into fritters, and hopefully it’s something you can make for yourself once this soup heals you completely!
Method: Place the leftover vegetables in a colander/sieve (with a bowl to catch drippings) and leave in the fridge overnight to completely drain. Discard the whole spices and transfer the drained vegetables into a bowl. Sprinkle besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour (non-glutinous) in a 2:1 ratio. Season with salt, spices (I added a bit more red chilli powder, turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida). Adjust salt (remember the soup already was salted, so taste batter first). Heat some oil and drop small spoonfuls and deep-fry on medium heat until crisp and golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve!
When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.
‘Cure All’ Cabbage Soup
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:20m
- Total Time:35m
- Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. oil
- 1/2 c onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. ginger, grated
- 2 large cloves of garlic, grated
- a pinch of fennel seeds
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 c cabbage, chopped (the part closer to the stem, it's more robust and 'heartier' for soups)
- 3/4 c carrot, chopped finely
- 1/4 c tomatoes, de-seeded + chopped
- 1/4 c french beans, finely chopped
- 5 c water
- a pinch of turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
- 1 c greens (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté ginger, garlic and onion, until soft and fragrant.
- Add fennel seeds, cinnamon, cabbage, carrots, tomato, french beans and stir fry on high heat for a couple of minutes to sear the vegetables.
- Add water, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cover and bring to a rolling boil, then simmer until the vegetables are as soft, not mushy.
- Add the greens (if using) and continue to simmer until it's cooked. Add ground black pepper and adjust seasoning.
- Serve steaming hot!
Emma says
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Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
I remember when my mom was doing the cabbage soup diet: as a result, we ate cabbage soup a LOT. It wasn’t anything like this, though: this has such amazing spice going on! I especially love the addition of turmeric with all of its healing properties.
Tina Dawson says
Yeah Michelle – this is not the regular cabbage soup! It’s so much more! I hope you try it!
April J Harris says
I love family recipes like this – they really do have curative properties and they taste so good. Love all the wonderful spices you have used – what a beautiful soup!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks so much April!!!
Brandi Crawford says
I have heard so many good things about cabbage soup. This looks like a great recipe to try.
Tina Dawson says
Definitely Brandi!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
This sounds like such a great recipe for cabbage soup. Loving that you added fennel!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Stephanie!
Luci's Morsels says
Yum! I like how you incorporated fennel. I bet this soup is full of flavor!
Tina Dawson says
It totally is, Luci!