Veggiestrone

I remember when I younger when we lived in our "338" home. My mom made this cabbage soup. I can't remember if it was this exact recipe or similar maybe my mom put ground beef in hers. I don't recall exactly. But I remember the "cabbage soup" that would help you feel full but not too heavy on the calories. Isn't if funny how certain things stick out in your mind? The other day on Yahoo's homepage was a link to this soup, Veggistrone. I felt like I had a lot of the ingredients already on hand and only had to pick up a few to finish it up. I also figured while I was at it I would buy some more two cup containers to put it in for work or to freeze in already made up perfect portions.

So I gave it a whirl. I think I need a larger pot! When I added the second part of the vegetables in that included the cabbage I thought it was going to overflow. I'm not sure how big my pot is but it is pretty large. Towards the end of the recipe--I actually thought before I put the spinach in I would need to get a second pot. But I didn't the vegetables shrunk down a little bit.

This was the first time I have ever bought a head of cabbage and cut one up. I've never made coleslaw or anything that you roll the meat into the cabbage leaves so that was a first for me. It was a little tough-very hard to push my knife down to cut it. The soup itself was pretty easy to make the longest, hardest part was cutting everything up. It cooked in about two hours plus another hour to cool down.

Here it is all divided and ready to be eaten/frozen.

*quick iPhone photos- it is very hearty~

*Figured I'd use the bigger containers for the freezer

I made this on Sunday afternoon, we were having steak, mac and cheese and green beans for dinner. So I planned on eating my first bowl today for lunch.

The Verdict:

It was delicious! I really enjoyed eating my two cups of soup. I even said to my lunch buddies-- I don't think I can eat my apple! I was getting very full from eating this soup. I barely even used the full tablespoon of parmesan cheese. I ate about 12:15-- but by 2:30--  I was starving again. I was a little bummed. I had some of the honey wheat pretzel sticks and drank some more water! Yeah, people might lose weight by eating this soup but I won't I'll need to eat more to continue to feel full longer. I mean I was full at the time of eating it - it just didn't last. Sometimes I do get hungry around 3 or 4 but I have a snack to hold me over until dinner. I will keep eating it but I think I might take out some shredded chicken from the freezer or just know to have a late day snack with some protein in it to hold me over. Well in the words of my SIL, not for nothing this soup will help me get my daily dose of veggies plus some!

Another article today about this soup...

Veggistrone
Makes: 10 servings, 2 cups each
Active time: 1 hour | Total: 1 3/4 hours
To make ahead: Prepare through Step 2 and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months; finish Step 3 just before serving.  Cost per serving: under $2.50

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
2 cups chopped celery (4 medium stalks)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped cabbage
3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 medium)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 medium)
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces, or frozen, thawed
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
1 bay leaf
4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
10 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (8-quart or larger) over medium heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 13 to 15 minutes. Add cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and green beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more.
2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans and bay leaf; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more.
3. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in basil. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Per serving: 169 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 7 g protein; 8 g fiber; 641 mg sodium; 718 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (123% daily value), Vitamin C (87% dv), Folate (23% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (16% dv).