Braised cabbage soup with tofu
This recipe describes the most recent version of braised cabbage soup using store-bought chicken bone broth, tofu, mushrooms, and shrimp. You can use kale, chard, or another tough vegetable that holds up well to simmering (see the notes). You can make your soup vegan using vegetable broth and omitting the shrimp. Add whatever toppings make you happy.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 177kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Soup Pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 medium Cabbage Napa, green, savoy, purple cabbage all work
- 1 carton Chicken broth store-bought or homemade beef, pork, vegetable broth all work
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 sprigs Green onion chopped
- 1 block Tofu cubed
Toppings
- 11 shiitake mushrooms optional
- 1 head Lettuce optional, leftovers that needed to be used
- 2 cups shrimp defrosted for a few days that needed to be used
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients. This means look through your fridge and decide what you'd like to eat or what you need to use before it rots. Take it easy on yourself and realize whatever you make will turn out fabulously. If you don't have any broth, use tap water (the vegetables and other ingredients will flavor your soup).
- Wash and chop up your aromatics. I like using green onion and garlic. You can also use ginger, chives, onions, shallots, or any aromatics in the allium family. Wash and chop your cabbage (or whichever vegetables you plan to cook). Put the aromatics and oil into a soup pot. Turn the heat to medium-high.1 medium Cabbage, 4 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs Green onion, 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Once your aromatics begin to sizzle and brown on the edges (this could take 2-5 minutes depending on how quickly your stove heats up), stir in the chopped vegetables so that you mix the vegetables with the oil. If anybody is melting down, turn off the heat and come back later.1 medium Cabbage, 4 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs Green onion, 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Empty the broth into the soup pot. Cover with a lid if you have one but leave the lid askew so it doesn't completely cover the pot. Leave the heat on medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. If you have trouble paying attention and don't want the broth to boil over, leave the heat on medium (it will take longer to boil but at least you don't have to clean up any spillage). If you are in a rush, increase the heat to high but keep in mind you will have to watch it carefully to avoid boiling over.1 carton Chicken broth
- While the soup heats to a boil, drain and cube your tofu. Once the soup is boiling, remove the lid and add your tofu. Avoid stirring vigorously because you may crush and break up your tofu, especially if it's a soft or medium-soft variety. Place the lid askew on the pot again and allow the soup to come to a boil on medium-high heat. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer. Stop and restart cooking if you need to take care of anybody (you can also skip straight to season to taste if you are ready to eat).1 block Tofu
- While waiting for your soup to boil, rummage in your fridge to find any other ingredients to put in your soup. I found leftover mushrooms, romaine lettuce leaves, and shiitake mushrooms from the past weekend's hot pot. I added those. You may have other leftovers like grilled chicken breast, ham, wilting broccoli, or cilantro you want to add. Prepare, by washing and/or slicing, your ingredients. Add them to the soup and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the ingredients look cooked or the soup has come to a boil, turn the heat to simmer the soup.11 shiitake mushrooms, 1 head Lettuce, 2 cups shrimp
- Try a spoonful of the soup. Season it to taste if it's not salty enough for you. Unless you've added really salty ingredients to your soup, add at least a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors.1 teaspoon Salt
- Simmer the cabbage for as long as you like depending on how soft you like your vegetables. Turn off the heat when you're happy with the textures and flavors in the soup.
- Serve a bowl of soup with your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy your braised cabbage soup!
Notes
Substitute or supplement with tougher vegetables in the cruciferous, a.k.a. brassica, family. These include broccoli, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and many more.
You can serve a cup of this cabbage soup going light on toppings as an appetizer or to accompany your main course. Alternatively, you can serve a big bowl of this soup as your main course and add in protein and noodles to make it a complete meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 916mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 2mg