So it looks like whatever was biting at my heels yesterday got scared and ran away. I woke up this morning feeling a million times better. Though I’ll never be able to tell if it’s really the green juice or the turmeric or the probiotics or any particular thing, I never regret taking care of myself.

Yesterday afternoon, as I studied for Monday’s Proteins, Fats & Carbs exam, I threw together a batch of emergency soup. It was very loosely inspired by this recipe, but I made so many substitutions, it’s practically a different soup entirely. It turned out even better than I expected, though. It even passed the Chris test.

Cabbage soup is one of my under-the-weather go-tos. It’s packed with immune-boosting nutrients like vitamin C, A, and various B vitamins. It’s also a great source of fiber, potassium, and even omega-3s. All that aside, it tastes really good in soup, and sometimes just eating something warm and soothing is enough to make you feel better. 

Ingredients:

• 1 small head of cabbage, cleaned and chopped/shredded (whatever works for you)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large carrot, grated or finely diced
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thin half-moon slices
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (I went with no-salt added)
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• rosemary (all I had was dried, added about 1 tsp)
• 6-8 cups water (or more)
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a large pot. Sauté onions, garlic and carrots until soft.
2. Add beans, zucchini, tomatoes and rosemary. Stir well and then add water.
3. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and let simmer, covered, for an hour (less time would be okay).
4. Add cabbage and more water, if needed. Bring to a boil again, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for another hour. Season as needed.
5. Optional: You can take the lid off partway through if you want your soup to cook down a little. I did.
6. Serve hot, topped with grated parm.