Since having my fourth child at age 35, I’ve had all kinds of health problems due to being overweight. I also got diagnosed with seasonal rheumatism and extremely high CRP levels. This anti-inflammatory cabbage soup has been on my menu since and has really helped reduce my symptoms.
Just so you know, this soup does not taste good at all but it does the work. Now, if you continue to eat all the wrong foods that cause inflammation, this soup won’t do you any good.
I know it’s hard to stay focused with all the tempting mouth-watering recipes around us but when it comes to your health, you simply don’t have a choice!
Anti-Inflammatory Cabbage Soup
So really quickly, let’s go over inflammation a little bit. Inflammation is when our immune system responds to bacteria, germs, toxins, chemicals, fungi, and viruses.
It can also be caused by cuts, splinters, bruises, and foreign objects in the body. There are two types of inflammation, acute and chronic.
Acute inflammation is when the body responds to injury while chronic inflammation is when the body continues sending inflammatory cells even when the injury has healed.
There are 5 symptoms of inflammation and they are redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. In serious cases, medication is needed to reduce inflammation fast.
However, you can sometimes reduce inflammation naturally by eating the right foods, vegetables, fruits, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and drinking enough water.
Enough about inflammation already, here is your recipe.
Anti-Inflammatory Cabbage Soup Recipe
This inflammation cabbage soup yields 4 servings and requires around 40 minutes of total cooking time.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium cabbage (chopped)
- 1 pound of cooked shredded chicken breast
- 6 cups of chicken broth (homemade chicken broth recipe)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1-inch ginger root (grated)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 1 fresh tomato (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 lemon (freshly squeezed optional)
- Parsley to garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Heat the oil and saute the onions for 3 minutes, add in the carrots, garlic, and ginger, and let it cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Next, add in the cabbage, chicken, and chicken broth, give it a stir, and add in your seasoning and spices. Give the soup a stir, cover and let it cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
Finally, if the soup is too thick, add in a little bit of water and more seasoning if needed. That’s it, you’re done! Note that you can add in some fresh lemon juice and also puree this soup but it’s all optional.
Now go ahead and garnish with some fresh parsley and serve right away while it’s still hot.
Anti-Inflammatory Cabbage Soup Nutrition Facts
Each serving of this anti-inflammatory cabbage soup contains 365 calories, 16% total fat, 8% saturated fat, 24% cholesterol, 57% sodium, 8% total carbs, 27% dietary fiber, 11 grams of sugar, 35 grams of protein, 11 % calcium, 16% iron, and 28% potassium.
How Does This Cabbage Soup Reduce Inflammation?
Well, according to research, cabbage contains flavonoids and other compounds like sulforaphane that help reduce inflammation and c-reactive protein (CRP) in the body.
Garlic contains an anti-inflammatory compound called diallyl disulfide which helps fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites in the body. The more garlic you add to your soup, the better!
According to John Hopkins, ginger contains over 400 compounds that are mostly anti-inflammatory. So adding it to your soup will definitely help reduce inflammation.
Carrots are also known as an anti-inflammatory vegetable because it is packed with vitamin A and beta carotene. Both of these are known to significantly reduce inflammation markers in the body.
Research shows that tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene which prevents the production of inflammatory cytokines in the body.
Lastly, turmeric! This isn’t just a spice, it works wonders on inflammation because it contains antioxidants that lower two specific enzymes that cause inflammation.
You may also like to try this carrot soup, chicken soup, bean soup, or this tasty lentil soup, or this anti-inflammatory cauliflower chciken soup or this soup cleanse recipe!
Conclusion
So you see, this soup works wonders when it comes to getting rid of inflammation. That said, you need to eat it at least 3 times per week to see real results. You can also try my detox cabbage soup recipe as well.
I hope you found this post helpful and if you did, please don’t forget to share it. You can also find me on Pinterest for more awesome recipes!
