Italian Style Cabbage Soup

Costing less than $1.50 per very filling serving, this rustic cabbage soup is perfect for weeks when you're hurting for money (thanks recession).

I've had a head of cabbage in my veggie drawer for the last 2 weeks and today, I decided to show it some love by making cabbage soup for lunch. Cooking cabbage with tomatoes is fabulous because it brings out a subtle sweet and sour flavor. Punch that tang up with ground pepper to taste (I used approx 1/4 tsp) and you've got a nice flavor profile that suggests you simmered this soup for at least an hour, despite the fact that from start to finish it took a mere half hour.

Ingredients (serves one very hungry girl):

2 cups veggie broth

1/2 of a 14 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes (you can used diced if you want, but I like the rough shapes you get from just smashing the tomatoes in your hand)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 head of white cabbage, cored and roughly chopped

1 clove of crushed garlic

1/4 small white onion roughly diced

5 leaves of basil cut in a chiffonade

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent, add garlic, pepper and cabbage. Stir fry contents of pan for 2-3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (smashed into smaller pieces if you're going that route) and liquid from can. Add thyme and oregano and stir. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and add basil. Salt and pepper to taste.