Comforting Light Cabbage Soup (Printable)

Light and nourishing vegetable soup packed with cabbage, carrots, and celery. Ideal for healthy meal prep and gentle cleansing.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 small green cabbage (about 1.5 lbs), cored and chopped
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 medium onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
08 - 1 small zucchini, diced (optional)

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
16 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced bell pepper, zucchini if using, and chopped cabbage. Sauté for 3-4 minutes while stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Season with thyme, oregano, black pepper, salt, and chili flakes if desired. Stir to combine.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in lemon juice if desired for brightness.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's honest food—no tricks, just real vegetables and the comfort of something warm and filling.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a farmers market, and leftovers actually taste better the next day.
  • You can make it in under an hour with ingredients that never pretend to be fancy.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of softening your onion, carrots, and celery first—this builds a flavor base that makes the whole soup taste like it's been simmering all day instead of just thirty minutes.
  • Taste it multiple times during cooking, not just at the end, because seasoning a soup is a conversation, not a one-time decision, and you'll catch when something needs adjusting before it's too late.
03 -
  • If your cabbage seems particularly tough, add it earlier in the cooking process so it has more time to surrender, and don't stress if your timing shifts by five or ten minutes—soup is forgiving that way.
  • Keep the broth temperature consistent by not letting it drop too far after you reduce the heat, because a gentle simmer finishes vegetables more evenly than a vigorous boil.
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