Skinny Cabbage Soup

                                

Skinny Cabbage Soup? Who wouldn't love to shed a few pounds.

Remember the old recipe for a "no points" vegetable cabbage type soup from Weight Watchers or the Cabbage Soup Diet?  

It was a hearty soup that was given as a bonus and could be eaten without counting the points in your daily allotment. AND you could still lose weight. Kind of a fill you up with lots of veggies and very few calories.

This soup recipe is my version of a "get skinny " no point" weight watchers type soup that can be eaten any time you like without any guilt! Yet, it's so good, your entire family will love it.

And best of all it can be made in THE CROCK POT ( which I love ), the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

This soup is  low in calories, but not low in taste.
IT only took about 10 minutes prep and about 3 1/2  hours to cook on high in the crock pot. So Easy!

I threw everything into the crock pot about 10:00 A.M . I then went out and did a few errands . When I returned about 1:30, I was greeted by the wonderful aroma coming from my kitchen of a home cooked soup, and was thrilled to have something healthy and hot that was ready to eat.

I like this soup because it can help you stick to your diet  because it is so satisfying and delicious.

You can add cooked black beans and even a little brown rice if you want to turn it into a meal.

If you are looking for healthy ways to boost the immune system and who isn't, this soup is also bursting with antioxidants and immune building vegetables like fresh garlic, fresh cabbage, and carrots. It's healthy -- enjoy..

Oh! I almost forgot. It has no added fat, it's vegan, and of course gluten free!!!

Here's how to get started...Pictured Tutorial

Slice some carrots and red onion



Slice up some sun dried tomatoes



Find a fat free tasty vegetable stock



Get a bag of Frozen artichokes, and run under warm water to defrost ( I got mine atTrader Joe's)



Chop up some red cabbage, fresh mushrooms, and garlic

Put it all vegetables into the crock pot with a container of vegetable broth,
1 T tomatoe paste and 1- 2 cups water (you will need the full two cups in the crock pot on high)

           
             
Ingredients:
3 medium organic carrots, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms , sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 bag of frozen artichoke hearts (Trader Joe's) 

Run under hot water to defrost first
5 sun dried tomatoes, sliced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's 21 Salute dried seasoning or any seasoning you like
1 container good tasting vegetable broth, divided
4 cups water


Directions
Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the crock pot. Turn on high and  add red onion, garlic and carrots and
allow to warm on bottom of crock pot for about 10 minutes, stirring if needed.

While the vegetables are heating, chop cabbage, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, etc. Add to crock pot. Add remainder of the vegetable stock, tomato paste and seasoning, water and defrosted artichoke hearts. 

Cover and allow to cook on high in the crock pot for a minimum of 3 hours. Eat as is or add 1 cup of cooked black beans or chick peas for protein.

Stove Top: follow directions but add to a soup pot with 1 additional cup of water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer covered for 30 minutes. 

Instant Pot: Follow direction but add to the liner of an Instant Pot. After all ingredients are added, secure lid, close vent, and set to pressure cook for 9 minutes. When done, release steam manually according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

This recipe is WFPB oil-free vegan, kosher parve, and gluten free. 

Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

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Time Saving Tips for Holiday Entertaining

Entertaining for the holidays? Wondering how you will put it all together?

Whether you are having an open house holiday party or extended family for a sit down dinner,

I have a few tips that can make serving easier.

Choose appetizers you make in advance and served cold.

Baked Brie With Raspberry Preserves Topping

Crudites of Raw Vegetables with Dip

Cheese Ball and Crackers 

 A Variety of Cheeses, Garnished with Whole Strawberries, Little Bunches of Grapes, and Crackers

Fruit Platters with Vanilla Yogurt Dip

Apple Slices Dipped in Chocolate and Sprinkled with Cinnamon

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Crock Pot Serving Idea

 Serving Soup at a dinner party? Use a crock pot to keep the soup, chili, or even potatoes warm. Pour cold soup into a cold crock pot and turn temperature to low or high depending on how much time until it will be served. Soup can be placed in crock pot up to 4 hours before serving. This allows you to wash the cooking pot in advance and not have to allow time to reheat the soup. Soup is ready for serving whenever you are.

 Coffee Carafe -

Serving tea or coffee after a dinner party? Prepare coffee and tea in advance and keep piping hot for up to 8 hours in a simple thermos carafe. Here's how: Purchase two 1.8 liter thermos carafes from a store like Marshalls, TJMaxx or Kohls, The carafes keep water or coffee hot for at least 8 hours. Before the dinner party boil water or use your coffee maker to make hot water and pour it into the carafe. Make coffee and pour it into your other carafe. Clean up and store coffee or hot water in the carafe.After dinner there is no need to start making coffee or tea, both are piping hot and ready to serve and you don't even have to leave the table. 

Hot Plate Warmers

Sometimes you just run out of oven space. Cook food in advance, clean pots and pans in advance. Place food in an aluminum through away pan and place on hot plate about an hour before serving. A hotplate keeps food warm and delicious. Again guests can serve themselves.

Here are some additional Tidbits:

Need a really quick soup ? This one is almost ridiculous, but it tastes great! Take a jar of Vegetable juice ( like V-8 juice) and heat it up. It tastes like tomato soup!! Really!! ( and it is very low calorie too) If you want to be more impressive, add a pat of butter, cooked brown rice, chopped hard boiled egg, or chopped cilantro just before heating.

Peeling Hard Boiled eggs? They will be easier to peel if you add a pinch of salt to the water , bring to a boil and then shut off the heat, cover the pot and allow eggs to steam for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and peel.

Like to cook with wine? When you have leftover wine, freeze it in ice cube trays. This makes it easy to use for future cooking.

Want to keep your trash can smelling fresh? Place a laundry sheet ( like bounce) at the bottom of the wastebasket

Want to save time at your next party? Place an extra unopened garbage bag under the open garbage bag in your wastebaskets. When you empty your wastebasket, there is another one already there for you to open right up. Great time saver at parties!

Want to peel garlic quickly. Method one- place in microwave for 15 seconds, skin peels right off .
Method 2- crush the garlic with wide knife, skin peels right off.

Need to clean the blender quickly? Fill the blender with 3/4 water and 1 drop liquid detergent and blend. It cleans itself. Rinse well

Want an easy to clean spoon from the honey jar? Coat the spoon with cooking spray first!

Burn food in a pot or pan? Cover burned area with baking soda and water. Soak overnight.

Need to clean a narrow vase or thermos quickly? Fill with water, drop in 2 Alka seltzer tablets; allow to sit for 10 minutes, swoosh and rinse

Need to clean the toilets before company? drop un 2 Alka seltzer tablets and allow to sit 25 minutes and flush

Need to open a clogged drain? drop 3 alka seltzer tablets down the drain and then a cup of vinegar. Wait a few minutes and run the hot water.

Does tomato sauce stain your plastic storage containers? Spray the containers with cooking spray first to prevent the containers from discoloring.

Want to know if your raw eggs are still fresh? Make a bowl of cold salty water. Place the egg in the water. It should sink. If it floats to the top, its not fresh!

Does your jelly jar get messy? Put the jelly into a squeeze bottle and it will save you a lot of mess.

Want to lower the fat content when baking? Substitute applesauce for the oil. Works great!

Want to keep your potatoes from growing buds? Place an apple in the bag with them.

If you have any time saving tips to share, please click comments in the green box that follows the posting and share your ideas..

This has been  posted on the following fabulous blogs: Tuesday Twister, Simple Lives Thursday, It's a blog party, Vegetarian Foody Fridays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Fight Back Friday, Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Family Food Fridays, Seasonal Saturday, Katies Cucina , Simply Gluten-Free,, Food on Fridays, Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday, Foodie Friday, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop