Spicy Cabbage Soup Recipe

In case you didn't know, cabbage is having its "kale moment." And once you try this spicy soup, you'll be right there on the cabbage bandwagon. Low-calorie and low-carb, this soup is big on flavor and, of course, spiciness. But it's not big on effort on your part. Chef and recipe developer Sher Castellano says: "This recipe is pretty easy to follow and comes together in under 30 minutes."

And as the spicy cabbage soup is prepared using common and largely shelf- or fridge-stable ingredients, you can whip together a batch any time. It's a perfect side dish for a wintertime dinner on those long, dark nights, but it's also a welcome light lunch any time of year. Serve the soup with a chunk of bread to add a bit more heft, or just enjoy a double serving to feel fill without consuming many calories in the process. And if you have leftovers (or you're planning ahead), they can be stored in the freezer for up to six months and still re-heat into a delicious, satisfying, and spicy soup.

Aside from being tasty, affordable, and boasting a long fridge life, cabbage is also a highly nutritious vegetable, and, as noted, a low-calorie food at that. According to Healthline, in a single cup serving of cabbage, you'll find 85 percent of your recommended daily allotment of Vitamin K and more than 50 percent of your Vitamin C. You'll get lots of antioxidants and around five percent each of your daily calcium, potassium, and Vitamin B6.

And all that comes with just 22 calories per that one-cup serving. There are also two grams of fiber and a gram of protein — not much, but every bit helps!

Chances are good that you already have most of the ingredients needed to make this spicy cabbage soup in your kitchen, with the likely exception being the cabbage itself. You'll need olive oil, red pepper flakes, diced yellow onion, diced celery, sliced cabbage, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, fine sea salt, black pepper, a bay leaf, broth, and some fresh chopped parsley.

Once you have made this spicy cabbage soup following the recipe a time or two, you can play with the spices some, dialing the heat up or down with more red pepper flakes and black pepper as you need. As laid out here, the portions will render a soup with decent heat, but one that's not going to leave your dinner guests (or family) gasping.

Heat a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-low and, once warm, add the olive oil and red pepper flakes, stirring a few times and letting them heat together for one minute. This will allow the spicy essence of the red pepper flakes to infuse the oil, giving you a much more flavorful spicy cabbage soup.

Now, add in onions and celery and sauté for five minutes, stirring regularly until the onions and celery have softened and the onions have grown translucent and are starting to become fragrant.

Once the onion and celery have had enough time to cook and soften, add in three cups of thinly sliced cabbage and sauté for five minutes more, making sure all the spicy cabbage soup ingredients mix well and that the cabbage leaves have begun to soften. Then, add in the apple cider vinegar and stir well.

Next, add in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and stir until the paste dissolves into the vegetables and the salt and pepper are mixed in well. Now crank up the heat and get ready to add the broth.

With the heat cranked up to high, add in the bay leaf and pour in the broth, then let the soup come up to a boil. Now turn the heat down and simmer the soup for ten minutes, stirring once or twice.

Once those ten minutes have passed, cut the heat, sprinkle in most of the parsley, and stir. Your spicy cabbage soup is now ready — just don't forget to remove the bay leaf! Serve the soup warm with more fresh parsley and pepper sprinkled over the top for looks and a touch of taste, and add a few more red pepper flakes for anyone who likes it seriously spicy.