Cabbage Soup with a Sweet and Tangy Twist

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cups chopped red cabbage
• 1 ½ cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5 cups water
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon (Optional)
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Warm some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the cabbage, celery, onion, and garlic, and cook everything together until the onion turns translucent—this usually takes about 5 minutes. Next, pour in the water and vegetable bouillon, then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and a splash of vinegar. Give it a good stir and slowly sprinkle in sugar, tasting as you go until the broth has just the right sweet and tangy balance. Season the soup with paprika, cayenne, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to your liking. Bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 40 minutes to an hour, until the veggies are nice and tender.