Spicy Cabbage Soup

For the last week, I've been on a diet. All this eating and my reluctance to go to the gym has caused me to slowly put on all the weight I'd lost last year. With summer and family coming (to visit), I know the eating is going to be pretty darn heavy, so I've decided dieting now would be sensible, or I won't be able to fit into my clothes come July.

The diet I follow is called The 4 Day Diet. It's a book I found while browsing through Barnes and Nobles one day. I tried it, it worked, so I now use it as my go-to diet book. The main thing I like about this diet is that, once you get done with the initial four days, the rest become easy. You're allowed some fish or chicken, and you still feel full at the end of the day. The other reason I really like this diet is because it tells you how much to exercise, which forces me to go to the gym. At the back of the book are some healthy recipes that you are encouraged to use and the Cabbage Soup is one of them. Of course, I have tweaked this recipe to make it a little more suitable to my palate. Here it is.

1 tbs oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 medium green cabbage, cored and shredded
1 1/4 quarts chicken broth
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
11/2 tbs vinegar (to taste)
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 green chilies, slit or 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

In a stock pot, heat the oil and fry the onions till they start to brown. Then add the garlic and fry till almost brown too. Next add in the cabbage and stir till it starts to soften. Now add the potatoes, carrots, chilies, herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar, and broth. Cover and allow it to simmer for 50 minutes or so. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked. If so, then serve hot.

Notes:

* If you are a vegetarian, then substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

*The original recipe adds a ham hock, but then asks you to chill the soup, remove the fat and then eat it. To make the recipe a quick one, I eliminate the ham hock, and use 99% fat free stock. It does reduce the flavor a bit, but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make to speed up the process.

*I substituted celery for the carrots since I forgot to buy some when I went shopping. It was very nice.