Cabbage and Cranberry Soup

Even though I know I couldn’t keep up daily posting throughout the year if I intend to hang on to my teaching job, I am enjoying it for this month.  It’s making me think even more about my food, and giving me lots of amazing blog posts to read!  There have been weekly MOFO Iron Chef Challenges using different ingredients.  I tried, last weekend, to make a recipe with chickpeas for the challenge but my brownies didn’t quite turn out blog worthy.  (Though the sundae I made with them was really good!)  I didn’t attempt this week’s challenge with the combo of bananas and coffee because I wasn’t feeling inspired.

What I have been feeling inspired about is the SOS October Challenge.

 This month’s challenge ingredient is one of my  favorites:  Cranberries.  My original plan was to  recreate an old family favorite: an apple and  cranberry crumble with an oatmeal topping in a  slightly healthier way.  But in the end I went in a  completely different direction with a savory soup  that I just adore!  Plus this one is so easy!

Cabbage and Cranberry Soup

1 tbsp olive oil (or you could use water to sautee the veggies)

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

2 large carrots peeled and chopped

5 cups veggie broth

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup cooked kidney beans

1 cup fresh cranberries

In a large saucepan heat the oil.  Add the onions and carrots and saute until starting to soften.  (Or you could saute in water.)  Add the veggie broth/stock and mix well.  Let simmer for a few minutes.  Add the shredded cabbage and the beans and stir well.  Let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is to the consistency you prefer.  Add the cranberries and stir well.  Let simmer between 5-10 minutes and then serve.

I learned something about myself today too.  With the RA my hands aren’t that strong; This is something I’ve known for awhile.  But I think it’s time to admit that any really precise work is not going to be done well with my hands.  I tried desperately to take a picture of a ladle of soup, holding the ladle in one hand and the camera in the other.  There was no way I could get a picture that didn’t shake.  Oh well.  You won’t be seeing any pictures of beautifully decorated cakes either.  That work is just too precise.  But I will keep trying to make healthy tasty food to feed my family.  And if I happen upon a good picture then it’s a win!  I hope you are enjoying this fall weather!  It’s beautiful here.