Fall is the perfect time to pull out the soup pot and make a big batch of Italian Cabbage Soup. Cool evenings require something warm and nourishing, and this soup is both. The soup--a family favorite--also is extremely easy to make when you just don't feel like making dinner (again!). With plenty of vegetables as well as turkey sausage for protein, the soup is a meal in itself. All you'll need is a salad or fruit on the side and perhaps some fresh bread, and supper will be ready. The soup also is excellent for lunches later in the week. To ease the preparation, I use packaged cole slaw mix and Italian turkey sausage links, which I chop into bite-sized pieces. The soup bubbles away on the stove, sending out mouth-watering aromas, as the flavors of the vegetables and sausage mingle. The soup is easy, delicious, inexpensive, and nutritious comfort food in a pot.
Italian Cabbage Soup -- Makes 2-3 Quarts
2 teaspoons of canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped (3/4-1 cup)
16-ounce bag of cole slaw mix with carrots included
16-20 ounces of Italian turkey sausage links (the uncooked kind), sliced into bite-sized
pieces
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup of rice
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute it for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the sliced turkey sausage and brown it for about 10 minutes. Add the cole slaw mix, garlic powder, salt, and lemon pepper and saute the mixture for 5-10 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring it periodically. Stir in the rice. Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes or until thickened and the vegetables are tender. Serve the soup in big bowls, sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan cheese, if you like.
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