While in the summer we opt for lighter dishes, delicious stews and soups are especially pleasing in the autumn and winter months. Whether it’s sauerkraut salad as a side dish with meat, stuffed sardines or in a pot with minced meat – the preparation of white cabbage has a long tradition in German cuisine and can be used to conjure up a wide variety of delicacies. Crunchy vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients and it is hard to imagine a table without them. In today’s article, we want to present you another German classic from our childhood, which is our best recipe for cabbage soup. Grandma, French cabbage soup or from the Thermomix – the choice of varieties of cabbage soup is really huge, and the recipes warm our souls. What are you waiting for? Read on and get to the stove!
Is cabbage soup healthy?
White cabbage is one of the most popular types of cabbage in Europe, and its season is from June to April. Crunchy vegetables are a real superfood, and during a cold they supply us with numerous ingredients useful for health, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, potassium and selenium. It also strengthens our immune system, is anti-inflammatory and has only 22 calories per 100g. Cabbage soup is also known as “magic soup” in the US – or “magic cabbage soup” in German. You may have heard of the cabbage soup diet, which is said to help us lose 10 to 15 pounds in no time. This is because the body has to work harder to digest fiber-rich ingredients and vegetables, burning more calories than it takes in. Although cabbage soup is healthy, the diet is very strict and the daily calorie intake is very low. As you know, such fast diets are not recommended and you should rather focus on a balanced diet.
The best recipe for grandma’s cabbage soup
Whether it’s a juicy skyr cake or quick 3-ingredient snacks – as amateur chefs, we love trying new dishes. But even the classics, like our grandmother’s cabbage soup recipe, taste great and bring back fond memories from childhood. Full of flavor and irresistibly delicious – perfect for a light dinner!
Broth ingredients:
- 1 cube of beef broth
- 250 grams of meat broth – breast
- 1 liter of water
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of greens for soup, washed and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
Cabbage soup:
- 1 small head of white cabbage
- 1 small onion
- 300 grams of tomatoes, peeled
- 3 Vienna sausages or Mettendchen
- 30 grams of butter
- 100 grams of cooked ham (optional, but recommended)
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons of sugar or honey
- A little fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
preparation:
- For the meat stock, boil water with beef stock and add greens, onions and beef brisket.
- Add salt, pepper, reduce the heat and simmer covered for 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Sauté the onion with sugar and bay leaf for 15 minutes until it becomes translucent.
- Add cooked ham, tomatoes and cumin and simmer in an uncovered pot for another 15 minutes.
- Then add some meat broth and let it cook gently for another 30 minutes.
- Clean the cabbage well, remove the stem and cut into thin strips.
- Strain the soup through a sieve and collect the liquid. Roughly cut the breast into cubes.
- Boil the beef soup and cook it with white cabbage, beef breast, sausages and parsley for 15 minutes.
- Then add the soup, mix well and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and, if desired, decorate with a little sour cream. And here it is – this is the best recipe for grandma’s cabbage soup!
French cabbage soup à la “Louis de Funes”
Do you want to cook something really delicious and special for dinner? Then be sure to remember our recipe for French cabbage soup à la Louis de Funes! The classic became famous with the movie “La soup auc choux”, in German “Louis and his extraterrestrial cabbages” and has been enjoying increasing popularity ever since. However, the film does not provide a recipe for cabbage soup, leaving plenty of room for your own experiments.
Ingredients:
- 1 large white cabbage
- 300 grams of beef leg
- 200 grams of smoked bacon
- 500 grams of potatoes, roughly chopped into cubes
- 500 grams of onion, finely chopped
- 300 grams of carrots, cut into small pieces
- 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 small tomato
- 1 piece of French bread or black bread of your choice
- 4 liters of water
- 1 liter of white wine
- 1 liter of sweet cream
- salt and pepper to taste
preparation:
- Slice the white cabbage, remove the stem and outer leaves and finely slice.
- Put water and cabbage in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the onion, carrot and drumstick, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Then add potatoes and garlic cloves.
- Season with salt and pepper and leave to cook for another 30 minutes.
- Add the tomato and mix well.
- Remove the pot from the heat and garnish the French cabbage soup with bacon.
- Serve with bread and enjoy!
Cabbage soup recipe for weight loss
Do you want to lose a few more kilos? Then you will love our cabbage soup recipe for weight loss! With only 150 calories per serving, yet very tasty – perfect for a light and low-calorie dinner! And the best? Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and use other vegetables of your choice.
Ingredients for 8 servings:
- 1 medium head of white cabbage
- 1 bunch of finely chopped celery
- 2 red peppers, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 100 grams of green beans
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 liters of water
- salt and pepper
preparation:
- Heat olive oil over high heat over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the onion, carrot, pepper and celery for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cabbage, green beans and bay leaves and mix.
- Deglaze with diced tomatoes and water and let it boil.
- Reduce the heat and cook covered for 40-45 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper and your low-calorie cabbage soup for weight loss is ready!
Lentil soup with quinoa and cabbage
And finally, a great recipe for cabbage soup with a difference. A hearty mix of quinoa and lentils, full of flavor and only 270 calories per serving – the perfect fall dinner!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium head of white cabbage
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 150 grams of lentils
- 90 grams of quinoa
- 1 liter of water
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
preparation:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes until soft.
- Add lentils and water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the quinoa, tomatoes, soy sauce and vinegar and simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the cabbage soup from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- If desired, decorate with fresh parsley and enjoy!
