Tuscan Soup with Cabbage

This rustic Italian-inspired soup layers sautéed vegetables with a rich sun-dried tomato broth, hearty cabbage, and garbanzo beans. A touch of fresh rosemary and chili flakes rounds it out beautifully.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, grated or cut in pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, or approximately 2 cups
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 1 cup of water, do not drain
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained, salt-free if possible
• 1 tsp fresh minced rosemary
• 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt

Method

1. Sauté onion, garlic, bay leaf, and carrots in 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 cup water for several minutes.
2. As these items are sautéing, place fresh tomatoes, 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes along with the 1 cup soak water and 2 cups water into a blender and blend well.
3. Pour tomato mixture into a pot.
4. Add cabbage, garbanzo beans, rosemary, chili peppers, and salt.
5. Simmer for around 20 minutes for flavors to mingle.

Makes 5 large bowls. Sometimes sun-dried tomatoes have a strong tomato flavor — add water to tone down if needed.