Cabbage soup has a bad reputation.
My first experience of it was when I was living in England. My flat mate decided she was going on a diet and made a big pot of cabbage soup.
Needless to say the diet didn’t end well.
And I was a little hesitant to try cabbage soup again.
But I’m really loving everything cabbage right now. And it’s Winter here. So I thought it was worth a shot.
And was it ever worth it?! Adding the almond meal to the broth makes for a rich, creamy soup.
And the crunchy almonds on top add the extra texture and substance that all good soups need.
I promise, the word ‘diet’ won’t even cross your mind.
- 500 g (1lb) cabbage about 1/4 large
- 3 cups chicken or veg stock
- 4 sprigs thyme optional, leaves picked
- 100 g (3.5oz) almond meal
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or other wine vinegar
- 100 g (3.5oz) roast almonds
- Finely slice cabbage and place in a largeish saucepan with the stock, thyme and almond meal. Cover and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer rapidly covered for 10-15 minutes or until the cabbage is lovely and soft.
- Taste and season with salt and vinegar as needed. If the soup is dry add some water.
- Divide between 2 deep bowls and serve topped with roast almonds.
Variations & Substitutions
different vinegar – apple cider, sherry or any wine vinegar is good.
Keto / ultra low carb – Trythis spinach soup.
nut-free – skip the almond meal and replace 1/2 cup of the stock with cream. Serve with lashings of grated parmesan instead of the roast almonds.
hot! – serve with chilli salt or chilli oil.
more substantial (carb lovers) – add in cooked pasta, cooked brown rice, quinoa or other grains. Or serve with crusty bread and butter.
more substantial (low carb) – more nuts! Stir in a few lightly whisked eggs at the end and simmer for an extra minute or until the egg is just set. Serve with grated parmesan and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Low FODMAP – use madacamias or walnuts instead of the almonds. And skip the almond meal. Use white cabbage not savoy.
different vegetables – soften an onion in oil before adding the cabbage and stock. Cauliflower is lovely with the creamy almond. Or broccoli would also work. Feel free to add carrot, celery or any root veg that need using up. And I can imagine kale, chard or spinach would make a delicious more vibrantly coloured soup.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the roast nuts separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring back to a simmer and top with the nuts. If the soup is too thick, add a little water.