Mmmm… nothing says fall quite like a cool, crisp, sunny day. On the weekends, I love going for a long walk with my family. I usually hate being cold, but on that first walk of the year that I return home and my hands are still a little cold from never quite warming up, despite our brisk pace, I know it’s finally fall in Texas… and that means SOUP season!
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I LOVE soup, but it’s not a very popular dinner category in our family. My husband isn’t a big fan of soup, because it doesn’t fit his framework of what a meal should be (a huge serving of meat with a side of potatoes and a smaller size of vegetables). And with 2 little ones, it’s one of the messier meals I can serve.
But this Spicy Cabbage Soup is an all-around hit. In fact, it’s pretty much my 4-year-old’s definition of soup. Last week I made a butternut squash soup, and it was NOT what she was expecting. “What?! I thought we were having soup!” … “This IS soup.” … “No, I want cabbage soup!”
I never thought I’d hear her insist on vegetables for dinner! Actually, I take that back… on our last visit to Minnesota she refused to eat the dinner my mom made and cried for asparagus (they didn’t have any) so we endured her sobs for 20 minutes while the rest of us tried to enjoy our meal.
But this is a soup we all enjoy, partly because a variation of it was first served to us by George’s mother, who passed away from cancer earlier this year. We devoured it the first time she made it for us, and she gave me the recipe so I could make it again the very next week.
Over the years, we’ve tweaked it a little bit, but it’s still super easy, inexpensive, and delicious. And it tastes even better as leftovers after the flavors have had time to marinate. We always make a huge pot, usually doubling the recipe, so we’ll have leftovers for days.
Even better, it’s filled with vegetables for a lot of fiber with very few calories!
You know that feeling the day after a holiday party? The “I can’t believe I ate/drank that much!” feeling? This is the perfect cure for it. A light and healthy soup that still tastes hearty from the flavor from the ham. At only 116 calories per serving, it’s the perfect addition to any fall or winter dinner without weighing you down.
Spicy Cabbage Soup
Notes
Nutritional Facts calculated from MyFitnessPal) per serving: 116 calories, 1.7g fat, 7.4g protein, 19g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 9g sugar, 747g sodium
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1/2 cup green beans
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 Tbs tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped cabbage (~1/2 head of cabbage)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1/2 lb ham, diced
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Coriander
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute garlic, onions, and carrots in a small amount of olive oil for 5 minutes
- Add the remaining ingredients and add water if needed to submerge all the vegetables
- Simmer for 1 hour or until all the vegetables are tender
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I can’t wait to try!
Hi Susan! I hope you love it as much as we do!