Skinny Soup

At least that is what my grandmother used to call it.  It is that great poor person meal known as Cabbage Soup!

In college, I got a copy of "The Cabbage Soup Diet" by Margaret Danbrot.  I would occasionally make a big pot of soup, but did not make it a regular thing until recently.  In 2010, my New Year's resolution was to learn to make soups well.  I learned cream soups, and broth soups.  To the point that I feel pretty comfortable with an ability to go into almost any kitchen and make a flavorful soup out of just about any odds and ends available to me.  I like to keep some soup in the fridge for quick snacks, and cabbage soup is an easy put together for me.

I start out with my trusty stock pot.  I chop up a head of cabbage, add a can or two of diced tomatoes with their juice, and go through my vegetable crisper to see what is starting to go limp or have some questionable spots.  Cut out the soft spots, and dice up those flexible veggies and dump them in.  Top with water, then simmer.  For spices, I add a bay leaf, red pepper flakes, herbs de provence, and salt and pepper.

The batch that I currently have in my refrigerator has...

1 head cabbage                                                                                                      $  1.29
Previously mentioned spices                                                                                    $   .10
1 zucchini                                                                                                               $   .40
1 can diced tomatoes un drained                                                                             $  .59
I carrot, grated                                                                                                       $  .15
3 stalks celery, diced                                                                                              $  .35
1 onion, diced                                                                                                        $  .20
2 cloves garlic, pressed                                                                                          $  .10
                                                                                                            Total  =    $ 3.18

I would say that I have a gallon and a half or two gallons of soup for that amount.  For me, that equates to 15 - 20 bowlsful (depending on enormity of serving) so let's call it 20 cents per bowl, shall we?  Husband and I both like the texture of the soup after it has been blended, so I blend the soup in batches (after fishing out the bay leaf!) and store most of the soup in ziplock freezer bags for consumption later.

 I will keep a large tupperware container in the refrigerator most of the time.

One of my quick dinner hacks is to put some of the soup on the stove, and wait until it is nice and bubbling.  Then, I will crack an egg directly into it and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Wait for the egg to poach in the soup, then serve.  Oh!  I put a pat of butter into the soup as I re-heat it for some richness.  I could also add some raw grated cheese or sour cream to give an extra dimension and smoothness.   

So, a huge bowl of "skinny soup", with an egg to make it a complete meal with protein, and all for under a buck.  Even with my beloved free range eggs at $3.50 per dozen, each egg is only 29.1 cents.   If made with Aldi's eggs, each egg is 14 cents.

Free Range eggs....                                   Aldi eggs
Soup =  20cents                                       Soup  = 20 cents
Egg   =  29 cents                                      Egg    = 14 cents
Total =  49 cents                                      Total  = 34 cents



I can add a super simple spinach side salad for about a buck.  That gives me an entire meal along Paleo guidelines, all for between $1.34 to $1.49, and it is bountiful amounts of healthy foods that will nourish my body the way that it needs to be nourished; in addition to filling me to full.