One time in college, one of my housemates made the most amazing cabbage soup for us. We were all surprised and raving about it. I guess he was embarrassed because he got mad at us and when I asked him what he put in it he said he couldn’t remember. Although I just realized it’s possible he was mad because he couldn’t remember. Of course, we were all very hungry at the time – I found “starving college student” is not just a cliché.
Any time I’ve made cabbage soup trying to recreate that experience, I’ve used a green head of cabbage (as did he), but this time the purple (red) cabbage looked so bright and beautiful that I couldn’t resist. You know by the color that purple cabbage is full of anthocyanins,[1] those flavonoids that are powerful antioxidants promoting heart health, cancer protection and, my personal favorite, improved brain function.
This is a slow cooker version of Hungarian cabbage soup, made “Hungarian” by the addition of the sour cream and paprika at the end. So you can skip the last step and just call it Cabbage Soup (and dairy free). I found a little, clear plastic container in the back of my spices with “oregano and parsley” written on it and I can’t tell if it’s my writing, but it’s going in everything this week to use it up.
This recipe could include a pound of cubed lamb browned with a chopped onion over medium heat, but I think it holds its own as a vegetarian meal. First cut the head of cabbage in quarters, then cut out the thick, white stem from the bottom center. Shred the cabbage on the widest side of the grater or chop it with a knife.
Hungarian Cabbage Soup (slow cooker)
1 small head shredded cabbage
8 C filtered tap water (or half water and half broth)
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (a pint of canned tomatoes)
1 T Italian seasoning or a combination of oregano and parsley
2 T flour
1 t paprika
1 C sour cream
Put the cabbage, tomatoes, liquid, and any spices you want in the slow cooker and turn on low for the day. When you’re ready to eat, ladle a scoop of the soup juice into a small bowl with the sour cream, flour and paprika; whisk until smooth. Add the creamy mixture back into the soup and stir.
[1] “Effect of Dose Size on Bioavailability of Acylated and Nonacylated Anthocyanins from Red Cabbage,” CS Charron, B Clevidence, S Britz , and J Novotny; Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, June 2, 2007, 55(13), pgs. 5354-5362.
