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–+ servings
a bowl of purple cabbage soup
5 from 12 votes

Purple Cabbage Soup

Blog: www.nextinlime.com

Author: Nelo
Servings: 4 generous portions

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil - or any neutral cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion - finely chopped (Note A)
  • 1 medium carrot - peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery - finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic - finely minced or grated
  • 1 medium tomato - finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon base or powder - or vegetable bouillon
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of white kidney beans (cannellini) - drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar - (Note B)
  • 4 packed cups of sliced purple cabbage - aka red cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch - optional, for thickening
  • 1.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice - or lemon juice
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro - or parsley

Seasonings:

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin - aka cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt - regular white/table salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - or paprika
  • 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients listed under "seasonings" and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a big pot on medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the veggies soften. Stir frequently. If they start to stick to the base of the pot, add a couple tablespoons of water.
  • Add ginger, garlic, tomato and the prepared seasoning mix. Cook until the tomato softens and gets jammy. Stir frequently.
  • Add chicken bouillon base or powder, white beans and 4 cups water. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add in vinegar and purple cabbage. Simmer until the cabbage has wilted but still has some bite.
  • Optionally, if you want the soup a little thicker, make a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water. There shouldn't be any lumps.
  • Slowly pour this slurry into the simmering soup, a bit at a time. You may not need all of it, so go easy and check the texture as you go. Let the soup simmer for about 2 minutes, until it thickens to the consistency you like.
  • Turn off the heat, mix in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Give it a quick mix and enjoy.

Notes

Note A: Onion — I use yellow onion, but red onion will work too.
Note B: Vinegar — an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be used instead.