A nourishing soup that will change your mind about cabbage

This time of year always makes me seek out green vegetables. Nature has a knack of providing us with what we need when we need it most. Coming into winter, it’s a welcome dose of chlorophyll-rich leaves and brassicas.

The mere mention of cabbage soup paints a dismal picture of a detox or cleanse; it was all the rage years ago to miserably drink a bland cabbage-based soup to lose weight. But fear not, this delicious broth is full of flavour, while still encompassing all the virtues of green cabbage.

In Ireland, the loyal cabbage is available all year round. It’s a nutritious vegetable and fantastic to eat in the bitter cold winter months, as it is a valuable source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. I think it is time for cabbage soup to be reinstated as a truly delicious dish, and dissociated with its diet fad past.

I love the texture of Savoy cabbage; the soup pools into its crevices and dips. It adds a great body to this soup. Cavolo nero or kale also work really well in this dish. I’ve used local bacon here from Woodside Farm in Cork. Cubed chorizo would be a perfect alternative, transforming it into something else entirely with its sweet and smoky paprika notes. Butter beans or haricots work well in place of the neat little cannellini beans.

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I buy organic stock powder, and find it very useful to have in the back of the cupboard. If are using shop bought stock, check it for salt content and be careful with the seasoning, as over-salting is difficult to remedy and can often spoil a perfectly good soup. The bacon can be salty too, so keep that in mind.

Recipe: Cabbage and cannellini bean soup

Lilly’s kitchen tips

1. Soak dried beans in water overnight, then simmer in the slow cooker. Dried beans are so affordable and can be frozen once cooked.
2. Blitz up batches of carrots, onion and celery in the food processor or chopper, then store in blocks in the freezer. They’re used as a base for most soups and stews in winter time, and you’ll save time on chopping.
3. Leftover chicken or ham can be used in hearty soups such as this. Just remember to label and date anything that you pop in the freezer.