Cabbage Soup: Vegan and Gluten Free!

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Sharing Chef Scott’s take on a long time staple. It is full of winter vegetables and flavor and the prep in chopping vegetables is most of the. work. We added a little work by making our own stock, but unsalted stock from the store (make sure it has less than 10 ingredients!) is just as good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 cups onion, chopped

  • 2 cups carrots, chopped

  • 2 cups celery, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/2 large head cabbage, chopped

  • 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (vegetable stock will make this vegan!)

  • Pinch red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

We like a fairly rough chop on these vegetables as it makes a soup with heartier bites. For the cabbage, this means taking the 1/2 head, cutting it in half, then in fourths, and chopping those into large pieces.

PROCEDURE

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.

  2. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes.

  3. Stir in beans, garlic, and thyme, and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  4. Add stock and bring to a simmer.

  5. Stir in tomatoes and cabbage and simmer until cabbage is wilted, about 6 minutes.

  6. Remove from heat and stir in red pepper flakes, paprika, parsley, and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with more parsley, if using.

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A Dutch oven was Scott’s choice for this. The smoked paprika gives the dish some color and a nice hint of spice. Be sure to season this well to bring out the sweetness of the carrots and the flavor of the cabbage.

CHEFS NOTE

If you are looking for a non-vegan version, using chicken stock instead of vegetable stock will provide a richer soup. For a really over the top level of flavor, top with slices of grilled bratwurst and add a couple slices of rye bread for dipping in the broth. These obviously take it out of the ‘Vegan and Gluten Free’ zone, but are great options if those criteria don’t matter to you.