February 11, 2017

Cabbage Soup Recipe [Keto & Low Carb]

Name: Cabbage Soup Recipe [Keto & Low Carb]
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Ground Beef (90% lean); 1/4 onion (large, diced); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon cumin (ground); 1 head cabbage (large, chopped); 4 cubes bouillon; 10 oz Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (1 can); 4 cups water; Salt and pepper (to taste)

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A cabbage soup recipe? I know what you're thinking: why would she put that on her food blog? It's not fancy, it's nearly impossible to make it look pretty, and most people with basic cooking skills could probably just throw this together without a recipe.

Here's why: keto doesn't have to be complicated.

(And also, cabbage soup is delicious. So there's that. If you haven't had this soup yet, jump straight to the recipe and just do it. Sorry, Nike.)

Don't forget to PIN it for later! ?

I love sharing some of the more basic things I regularly whip up in my kitchen to show you that the keto diet doesn't require any fancy pants ingredients or tools. All you need is real food. You can pick that up anywhere! Your local grocery store, butcher, or farm are great places to start.

You don't have to reinvent keto versions of high carb foods to do the keto diet. After typing it out, it seems a bit silly even to say it. But I'm hoping something as simple as a cabbage soup recipe will help bring that point to light.

I’m just always surprised by how many people start this way of eating, search for recipes and come to the conclusion that they need to spend all of their time in the kitchen crafting ketofied versions of the junk they were eating before trying to get healthy. Or think the things required to do this diet come from specialty stores or have to be special-ordered online.

Yes, there are keto versions of just about everything you can think of. But you don't need to overcomplicate everything in the name of keto. You don't need fancy sweeteners or flours.

I'm guilty of posting keto versions of the stuff we all miss and crave at one point or another. My fathead pizza rolls and keto chocolates are a couple of my most popular recipes. But they aren't the foods I eat on a regular basis or what I would recommend to people struggling to figure out how to get started, wrap their head around macros, or figure out what you can eat on the keto diet. These are special sometimes treats and fun cooking projects for people with ketogenic dietary restrictions; not daily diet fare.

In fact, some might even call it a bait and switch. Lure you in with fancy treats only to deliver the following message:

You don't have to ketofy everything to do the keto diet.

I’m afraid my cabbage soup recipe may have turned into a rant. Oops! If you’re interested in learning more about starting keto on the right foot, be sure to check out my free Hello Keto course. There’s only a little ranting, pinky promise.

Back to the soup!

We eat cabbage and beef soup at my house all. The. Damn. Time.

For the people wondering what I genuinely eat day-to-day, this is it right here. When the weather is chilly, there is nothing more satisfying than a big hot bowl of cabbage soup with beef. This meal embodies my daily approach to cooking: simple as can be.

Basic ingredients. Uncomplicated, straightforward ingredients that taste amazing and easy to find at your local grocery store.

Easy. If you can chop and turn a burner on, you got this. My partner who “doesn't know how to cook” fixes this for our family all the time. Hand to heart, if he can do it so can you.

Meal prep godsend. Whip up a batch of this soup, and you have lunch and dinner covered for days. My family usually eats cabbage soup for supper, and I take some to work for lunch the next day. There’s still a few servings leftover to pop in the freezer for when the thought of being in the kitchen pains me. I love to cook, but we all have those days don't we?

Satisfying and keto friendly. The ingredients used for this soup are low in carbs with a healthy balance of fat and protein. It’s a filling, comforting meal, that doesn’t feel restrictive. It's also insanely delicious. Healthy without sacrificing flavor, for the win!

Electrolytes. The stuff plants crave! In all seriousness, electrolytes are a pretty big deal when you’re on a ketogenic diet. They can make or break your entire day. Low electrolytes can be the culprit for fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, and nausea. If you are experiencing the dreaded “keto flu,” have a migraine that just won’t let up or getting leg cramps, throw an extra bouillon cube (or two!) in the pot. Sodium is your friend on keto, and this cabbage soup recipe just might turn your day around.

I use my Instant Pot (one of the coolest kitchen gadgets ever!) and prep everything all in one pot. Just brown the meat on the saute function, then cook the soup under high pressure for 15 minutes using quick release. You can simmer the cabbage soup in a stock pot for 30 minutes with very similar results and no fancy tools.