Cabbage Soup

Cabbage/Potato Soup

Here's one more soup recipe to end off the week.  This is a cabbage soup similar to the one I posted earlier in the week.  The main difference between the two soups is that there are more potatoes in this recipe and no beets.  Both are yummy, yet they taste so different.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to making a soup.  Be creative and add your favourite ingredients.  If you don't have an ingredient in your refrigerator, don't fret.  Add something else.  Remember, you can make a meal out of a hearty soup or a starter out of a consommé.  If you don't have time to chop up all the vegetables, throw in some bigger pieces and puree them with a hand blender at the end.

I think soups are an encouraging and healthy way of eating more vegetables.  Although nutrients are lost when vegetables are boiled, I believe you're still getting a good part of the nutrients.  After all, you're not throwing out the water.  The nutrients are in the soup's liquids.

Cabbage & Tomato Soup with a Beet

Cabbage & Tomato Soup

Cabbage is very popular in Ukrainian cooking, which is a part of my husband's heritage.  My mother-in-law makes a variety of soups using cabbage, as it's common for Ukrainians to either start a meal with a light soup or eat a hearty soup as a meal on its own.  

I am very adamant about buying organic vegetables, especially the ones that grow underground.  Root vegetables such as onions and carrots are always organic in my home, as I do as much as I possibly can to avoid cooking foods with heavy metals.

It's RARE you will see me use canned foods even though they're listed in my recipes.  I will use a glass jar of Passat before using a can of tomatoes.  Only in rare circumstances will I use canned tomatoes, beans, etc.  You will never see me cook with aluminum pots and pans.  I only use stainless steel, cast iron, or glass baking dishes and line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.

While shopping at Loblaws last week, I was able to pick up a larger variety of organic vegetables.  They have such a great layout and make it so easy to find their organic foods between their purple markers.  The cost of their organics is so much more reasonable compared to the other grocery stores in my neighbourhood.  

I only buy fruits and vegetables between the purple markers at Loblaws and base my meals on what I'm able to find.  Some weeks there's such a vast variety of organics and some weeks this section is scarce.  Last week, I was lucky and for this reason will be cooking a lot of vegetable soups this week.

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

There are so many different ways to prepare the filling for your cabbage rolls.  Do you prefer pre-cooking the ground meat and rice prior to filling?   If yes, be careful not to overcook the meat.  There isn't a right or a wrong.  It's a matter of personal preference.  

No matter which method you choose, just be sure to remove the vein from the centre of each leaf before forming a roll.  The first time I made them, I had not performed this step and boy oh boy were those cabbage rolls ever tough to eat.

A quick tip is to freeze the cabbage as a whole and then pull apart the leaves as it defrosts.  I was amazed to see this really works.  No need to boil.  Just be sure to remove those centre veins.

Cabbage in Cream Sauce

Cabbage in Cream Sauce

Cabbage meals have been a staple in my husband's family since childhood. ~A classic part of his Ukrainian heritage.  My mother-in-law was kind enough to share this recipe with me and I hope you will enjoy making this for your family too one day.

Aside from making cabbage rolls, I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that don't know what to do with a cabbage.  This recipe is very easy to make and it's amazing how this dish always tastes better the next day.  It makes a big batch and can be eaten as a meal or a side dish.