Recipe: Smart Cabbage Soup - A Good Soup Hides in a Bad Diet

SMART CABBAGE SOUP - A GOOD SOUP HIDES IN A BAD DIET

"Years ago, I foolishly tried the last (fortunately, it was the last nonsense diet I tried). The diet was so restrictive I nearly fainted a few times. By day five, I had the good sense to quit this dangerous diet and start learning how to lose weight correctly.

Over the years, I have found that healthy weight-loss diets have several things in common; they all call for eating sufficient protein, a sensible amount of unsaturated fat and plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It's a healthful eating plan that you can - and should - enjoy, even when not dieting.

This recipe ushers out the cabbage soup debacle of years past and introduces you to a better-for-you cabbage soup that is part of an overall healthy eating plan. Bright with chunky carrots, green pepper and tomatoes, this lean and flavorful dish is more a stew than a soup. Pour yourself a bowl and savor several servings of hearty vegetables effortlessly.

Mix in some kidney beans and a touch of Parmesan cheese or add bite-sized turkey meatballs for a source of high-quality protein. Since this generous pot of soup keeps for up to a week, you can reinvent it by adding new ingredients each time you reheat and serve." - Dana Jacobi

SMART CABBAGE SOUP

1 (28-oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes
4 cups fat free, reduced-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 pound cabbage, quartered, cored and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch strips
3/4 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
5 oz. white mushrooms, stemmed and thickly sliced

In large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, green pepper, celery and onion until moist, 3 minutes.

Add cabbage, 3 to 4 handfuls at a time, stirring until it collapses, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallions and mushrooms and cook until vegetables look moist, 4 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 8 minutes, until vegetables let their juices out.

Add tomatoes, with their liquid, to vegetables. Add broth, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and red pepper, if using. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot. Or cool to room temperature and refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat over medium heat before serving.

VARIATION:

For variety, when reheating the soup, add red kidney or cannelini beans, or small turkey meatballs that cook in the soup. Or serve with a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream and some chopped dill.

Makes 12 servings

Per serving: 70 calories, 1.5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 230 mg sodium

Source: Dana Jacobi / the American Institute for Cancer Research