This is not a Cabbage Soup Diet endorsement

+ some cute IRL stuff

Having written about the unappealing nature of cabbage soup 2 weeks ago, the irony of today’s newsletter doesn’t escape me - but this soup has had a chokehold on me all week and I can’t gatekeep it any longer. Though I’ll admit that this soup made its way into my life after 3 consecutive weekends of travelling and eating, this is NOT a cabbage soup diet endorsement, nor am I suggesting you replace all of your meals (and joy in life) with this soup. If anything, this was a spring soup interlude, a light, healthy, nutritious, delicious respite from the primarily beige, doughy, and sugary food I’ve found myself in front of the last 3 weeks.

---

In other fun news, I had the pleasure of cooking up a few colourful little numbers for want.viva’s London event this week. The vibe, set by the very talented Kate of Blow Studio, was swirly, pink, and green, the flowers were Verde, the gallery space (Ilenia London) was immaculate, and the company was delightful 🌸💕

Viva is a very new app that lets you browse, collect, and share your personal wishlist of fashion, jewelry, art, and objects - check it out!

spiral flatbreads (inspired by bread ahead & healgoblin), green gazpacho, hummus swirls, and lemongrass-beetroot soup cubes

The Recipe

This is a a recipe for a big batch of soup that will last you a few days, and can be tweaked, topped, and garnished in a whole variety of ways to ensure you don’t lose your marbles out of boredom and depression. If cabbage doesn’t agree with you, I’m sorry, and I’m not sure what would work as a replacement. On the bright side, this is the last time I’ll be talking about cabbage.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 brown onions, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

• A pinch of chili flakes

• 1 large head of green cabbage, core removed, chopped

• 2 celery sticks, sliced

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced

• Salt & pepper

• 1 tin of diced tomatoes

• 2 litres (4 cups) chicken stock

Add-ins & toppings

• 1 cup chopped tender herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, mint)

• 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced

• 2 large lemon, zested and juiced

• A dollop of creme fraiche 

• 600g minced chicken (or turkey, or lamb, or beef)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add in the cumin*, coriander*, and chilli flakes and continue cooking for a few minutes. (You’ll get more flavour if you crush whole seeds in a mortar and pestle and then add, but pre-ground is fine too!

2. Add in the chopped cabbage, celery, and carrots, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. 

3. Pour in the diced tomatoes (juice and all) and the broth, bring to a boil, then the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes, until everything is super tender. 

4. If using, brown the minced meat in a few spoons of olive oil in a separate pan. Add to the soup when done. 

5. Serve with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, a dollop of creme fraiche, and an avalanche of chopped herbs and spring onions. 

FIN

A few ways you could jazz it up:

• replace the tinned tomatoes with coconut milk, and replace the cumin & coriander seeds with ginger and lemongrass

• blitz some herbs and spinach with some broth a separate pot to make the soup green and herby

• add in curry powder and turmeric, serve with yogurt and rice

---

Thank you for being here!!!