Cabbage Soup#1

A stripped-down cabbage soup that lets the vegetables do all the talking. Shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, and diced onion simmer in a tomato juice and beef bouillon broth until everything is tender and the flavors have melded together.

This is a one-pot dump-and-simmer recipe. Everything goes in at the start, cooks for an hour, and that’s dinner. The tomato juice provides the acidity and body, while the beef bouillon adds savory depth. A single bay leaf rounds out the aroma. Using low-sodium bouillon cubes lets you control the salt level.

The longer simmer breaks the cabbage down from crunchy shreds into soft, silky ribbons that soak up the tomatoey broth. The carrots hold their shape but turn sweet and tender.

Kitchen Tips

• Shred the cabbage thin for a more soup-like consistency. Thick chunks stay too firm even after an hour.
• Taste and season at the end. Bouillon brands vary wildly in salt content, so hold off on extra salt until the soup is done.
• This soup gets better overnight as the flavors concentrate. It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.

Variations

• Add diced celery and green pepper for a more classic diet cabbage soup.
• Stir in cooked ground beef or shredded chicken to make it a heartier meal.
• Swap beef bouillon for vegetable bouillon to keep it vegetarian.