Forget starvation diets. This satisfying Mediterranean diet soup recipe is the perfect gentle and healthy reset, which is why I make it every January and whenever I feel sluggish and need a boost. With turmeric, ginger, and a whole head of cabbage to sooth inflammation without giving up flavor.
My January Mediterranean Diet Cabbage Soup
If your jeans are feeling a little tighter after weeks of holiday feasting (hello baklava and lamb roast), believe me, I’m right there with you!
January is often the time when everyone swings to the extreme. We punish ourselves with restrictive cleanses or skip meals altogether. But for me, as a person who was born and raised on the Mediterranean diet, deprivation just isn’t in my vocabulary. I do love a good green juice, but I’m not a juice cleanse kind of person, and you won’t catch me living on chicken stock alone for days on end. I need a little substance.
When the New Year rolls around, I’m not looking to starve myself. I am looking for a nourishing gut reset that feels like a warm hug, not a punishment.
So, I turn to one of my tried-and-true Mediterranean diet recipes: This easy cabbage soup.
If the words “cabbage soup” give you a flashback to the bland, watery fad diet of the 1980s, let me put you at ease, this is anything but that. This soup is abundant, flavorful, and satisfying.
Why This Soup is the Ultimate New Year Reset
Here are three reasons why this soup is my favorite way to detox and reset my body after the holidays:
- A fiber-rich vegetable feast that satisfies and nourishes the body. I’m a big fan of cabbage as a low-calorie vegetable that is a great source of minerals and vitamins C & K, and B vitamins (specifically B6 and folate). But it doesn’t swim alone. Cabbage shares powerful anti-inflammatory benefits with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and diced tomatoes in this soup. And together, this bounty of veggies offers the fiber needed to aid digestion and nourish the gut.
- Ginger, turmeric, and Mediterranean spices: A powerhouse to aid digestion, fight inflammation, and add flavor. The “golden” glow in this soup comes from ground turmeric, a spice I often use in my Mediterranean cooking. Because it is rich in curcumin, turmeric supports healthy gut bacteria, while fresh ginger speeds up digestion so you don’t feel heavy. And let’s not forget about Aleppo Pepper, my favorite tangy, fruity chili pepper flakes. Here, Aleppo pepper gently boosts metabolism and adds a savory complexity that really makes this soup feel rich and satisfying.
- The Mediterranean “fresh finish” technique. Most people make one mistake when it comes to vegetable soups, they let things simmer until the flavor falls flat. But as we do in Mediterranean cooking, we finish this soup with a healthy dose of fresh parsley, green onions, and zest and juice of one whole lemon. Yes, there is an added health benefit with all of these, but more importantly, you need this big fresh finish to wake everything up and truly bring the flavors together.
Easy Prep 30 Minutes on the Stove
The best part? You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to get this level of flavor. With a little chopping and one pot, this soup will cook in about 30 minutes or so on the stove.
We’re all busy getting back to the grind in January, and this recipe is effortless enough for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ready to try it?
