Cabbage Soup - No, WAIT! - Come back!
 

I've been dieting a bit lately, not really dieting, per se, but eating healthy for a change, and losing a little weight is just a fringe benefit. Today I surprised myself by really liking this soup, and my DH liked it, too. That's really saying something because I think he has about 10 times as many taste buds as I do. He will eat almost anything, but tends to be stingy with compliments. He not only praised this but he wanted a second helping.

All measurements are approximate. I just throw my soups together.

Quick Cabbage Tomato Soup

1 T. of olive oil. Can add a little butter if you want.

3 cups of shredded cabbage (I used a coleslaw blend from Sam's Club that has some red cabbage and carrots as well as green cabbage, and I just grabbed several handfuls and threw it in.)

2 cups of chicken broth (or beef would work if that's what you have on hand. I prefer vacuum packed broth with no MSG. You could also use bouillon cubes with water as directed, but they have a lot of sodium, I think. I poured in enough broth to cover the cabbage.)

1 can of diced tomatoes, not drained

2 T. powdered ranch dressing mix (optional - It adds a few calories and some sodium.)

In a 3 qt. pot, saute the cabbage in the oil over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes and heat to boiling. Stir in the ranch dressing mix if using. Ready.

I didn't expect to like it, but I wish I'd made twice as much. For a heartier soup, you could add some meatballs, but I didn't, and this was quite filling as is. I hope you enjoy it!

Italian sausage is excellent in it, too. It probably voids all the good for you stuff, though.

Sounds yummy to me! So many recipes are calling for dry ranch dressing mix--I wonder if anyone has a recipe to make your own and save a little money and some sodium???

sounds good to me I love cabbage, for tomorrows diner making ham and string beans with cabbage and potatoes throw everything in my large crock pot and let cook..mmmm! now I can't wait thinking about it

ww has a good cabbage soup also, Chicken broth, carrots, green beans, cabbage, 2 T tomato puree, onions.. it is zero points. web site LaLoosh has a lot of ww recipes also

I like the WW one and will try this recipe. I think I saw a home made recipe for dry ranch dressing on Pinterest.

I just added chicken broth and cabbage to my grocery list! I'll give it a try.....than you!

This also sounds like the "Peel a Pound" soup that was all the rage in the 80s.

2 T. powdered ranch dressing mix (optional - It adds a few calories and some sodium.)


I wonder if there is something I can substitute for the Ranch dressing? I have a severe sensitivity to MSG, and Ranch is loaded with it...

http://robynsview.com/2012/03/homema...ix-recipe.html

I have not tried it,but this looks like a good possibility for home made dry ranch mix. I'm not sure I've ever seen dry buttermilk, but it's worth looking for.

You can find the buttermilk powder in the backing section of the grocery store.

I found dry buttermilk in the baking items department of the grocery store. Cost was a little over $4 .
Serita

The buttermilk powder brand name is Saco. Maybe SACO.
I use it in making cornbread, etc.

I so had to laugh at your title for this thread....I used to make a cabbage/gr. beef/tomato casserole, and it was the "best", so I am sure I will like your easy soup recipe too.

I haven't tried these yet, but I thought I'd share a Facebook post that I copied (originator's name is Crystal Ess.) I like the fact that they use spices that are commonly found in kitchens. Lord knows I've bought MANY healthy ingredients at health food stores to make just one recipe and found them to be a disaster! Time flies, and before you know it, the expiration date is a couple years old...money down the drain! Staying organized and saving money feels good. I'm making the ranch mix today:

Make your own Ranch, Dry Onion Soup Mix and Taco Seasoning and store in small mason jars....This is soooo much HEALTHIER than those you buy at the store!! They contain a TON of stuff that is not good for you!!

Taco Seasoning:
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sea salt
Put ingredients into a jar and shake.

Dry Onion Soup Mix:
2/3 cup dried, minced onion
3 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a jar, then give the jar a good shake. I’d recommend shaking the jar to mix the ingredients well before each use.
Use 4 tablespoons in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix. Store this in a dry, cool place.

Ranch:
5 tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix together and store in an air tight container.
For dressing: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream.
For dip: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream or Greek Yogurt.
Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend.

I made this soup yesterday. It was delicious! So easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper.

Thanks to all who responded, and thanks, apronlady, for sharing your mix recipes! I had a container of the ranch mix that I bought at a big box store not too long ago, and I put some in this soup mainly as a way of getting some of it used before the expiration date.

Tartan, there's not the slightest chance I would eat the same thing every day. The main thing that's wrong with diets that ask us to do something like that is it's just not sustainable and it doesn't train us to eat a normal, balanced menu, which should be our long term goal. It takes time to establish good habits.

A large part of diet for me is struggling to keep the goal in mind, and the goal should be not so much ideas like fitting in a certain outfit by a certain date, after which I can "celebrate" by binging, but trying to do whatever it takes to maintain good health for as long as possible. It's so difficult because the very best moments of our lives are often closely tied in with rich, sweet, fatty and/or salty food and we're constantly surrounded by temptation and messages that say "indulge".

I have to work very hard to enjoy food that doesn't insult my body and threaten my well being, but it turns out that preparing healthy food is not necessarily a big strain. In fact, a focus on simplicity actually makes it easier. For me, the main culprit is sugar of every type. If I shun food that has any kind of sugar in it, I automatically eliminate a lot of other overly processed ingredients. Simple is whole food with nothing added. I eat eat, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, butter, eggs and nuts. Any "processing"gets done in my own kitchen, and the less I do to it, the better. The Ranch dressing mix obviously violates that tenet as does canned ingredients, for the most part, but I'm not able to be totally fanatic, and if the number of sugar grams on a product label keep it down below about a teaspoon per meal, I might indulge.

I just got this recipe for dry ranch dressing mix in my email:

•1/3 cup, Powdered Milk
•2 Tbsp, Dry Parsley
•1½ tsp, Dried Dill
•1 tsp, Dried Chives
•2 tsp, Garlic Flakes
•2 tsp, Onion Flakes
•2 tsp, Onion Powder
•1 tsp, Black Pepper

I cook a lot like you...I call most of my soups, "Empty the Refrigerator Soups" as they are whatever I have on hand. This one will fit right in! :)

This is a good soup. Instead of the Ranch Dressing, try a 1/2 to 1 cup of V-8 Tomato Juice to add some good flavor. Works for me and adds a wonderful flavor.

"No wait....Come back...."

I had to laugh!:D Sorry, though, but it still didn't hit my hot button. :p :D

Hi Rose,

Just reread your post and I'm in the same boat with eliminating sugar and processed foods. I've "dieted" my whole life and sick of it all, and now it's more of a choice to eat well to stay well. I am no longer obese and don't fret about putting on a bathing suit. I'm not a size 2 either. No more diets, and there's such a peace about that way of living...no charting or counting of calories or points...just eating quality whole foods. It can be challenging, but you stockpile some good recipes, and it's easier. I'm not fanatical either (ice cream has its way with me, so I try not to keep it in the house.) I made your recipe with the homemade ranch dressing mix, and it was love at first sight! I've cranked it out twice already. Another good tip would be to not use canned tomatoes. Canning with BPA and the acid from tomatoes is a lethal mix. I use Pomi tomatoes in the boxes now (buying them on sale, of course!) Just wanted to share my 2 cents' worth and to THANK YOU for an awesome addition to my recipe file!

Me too on the MSG! So many things have it in there too.

Thanks for this inspiring comment! I've never been officially obese, but just hated to see pounds gradually creeping up on me, and also had to worry about glucose because all my relatives on my dad's side wind up with type 2 diabetes sooner or later. Some of them have lived into their 90's, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have been better off without this particular disease. As a young person I had hypoglycemia for many years, and it's often a precursor of diabetes. It robs you of vitality, and is often overlooked as a health concern because the sufferers tend to be slim and free of obvious health problems. With that condition you tend to feel tired and unmotivated, and very often emotions are blamed rather than physical health. A big dose of sugar provides a temporary boost, so the hypoglycemic person will often discover binging on sweets as a "consolation", but the effect quickly wears off leaving you feeling even worse. Luckily, I was diagnosed in my early 30's, and was given sound advice by a hospital dietitian. I felt so much better when I avoided junk food that I never really got too far overboard. But when everyone around you is freely indulging in all the things that you know are unhealthy of you (and really for them, too!) it's very hard to avoid the bad stuff. It all seems so delicious!

Restaurants are a huge pitfall. They know that their customers want rich, sweet, salty, fatty food in huge portions and that if they don't dish it up their competitors will. Once in awhile there will be new restaurants that try to emphasize healthier offerings, but they tend not to last long. The vast majority of Americans want their junk food. If you sit down and they don't quickly bring you a mound of fried chips or rolls you feel something's missing, and the first thing they ask you when taking your order is what you'd like to drink. Almost all the beverage choices are loaded with sugar and/or fat, and many have caffeine or alcohol. The latter will loosen your inhibitions about what and how much to eat, so everyone goes away happy until we wind up in the hospital with a coronary.

I also agree about the canned tomatoes and ought to make more of an effort to avoid cans. For quite awhile I've been a bit cavalier about some risks figuring that since both my parents died in their 60's, there's not much likelihood I'll ever be old, but at some point I decided to focus on the fact that I had aunts on both sides who lived into their 90's. If I happen to take after them, I could have as much as 30 more years. Why squander that? Genes are only part of the picture, and a lot can be done to minimize whatever strikes we may have against us from that source. Also, being of the generation that lived through WW2, my parents both had a lot of stresses in their early lives that I was fortunate enough to have been spared.

On the subject of BPA, did you know that it's frequently found at dangerous levels in the thermal paper often used to print receipts?! http://www.thefactfinders.org/1/post...-receipts.html I don't know how to rate this level of risk, but the risk-to-benefit trade-off here is zilch. We don't get any good whatever out of this and should be demanding that stores abandon this technology immediately.

I tried your recipe last night and it is very, very good. A measure of its quality was when my husband asked for seconds. I used both green and purple cabbage. Yum!

This recipe was delicious ... and it lasted 3 days at my house. The high fiber content kept me close to the bathroom for the last 2 days and, yes, several pounds went down the drain too.

I have made it AGAIN. I have added some cooked chicken cutlets and meatballs at times to add a little heft and made it my lunch. It is so good and so adaptable......A wonderful recipe....low cal and healthy. Both times I've made a large pot and have frozen half......this has become a staple at my house. :) Thanks again, QuiltE

This soup is delicious! I used beef stock and added cooked ground turkey. Thanks for sharing!