Chickpea Cabbage Soup (An Easy Friday Dinner)

A Friday without meat doesn't have to mean the same fish sticks every week. This is chickpeas, cabbage and red onion in a good broth. One pot, cheap, and done in about half an hour if the chickpeas are already cooked.

Chickpeas carry the meal. A cup has about 15 grams of protein plus plenty of fiber, so a bowl keeps me full all evening without the heavy feeling. No meat substitutes, nothing processed.

The recipe

Time: 35 min Makes: 4 servings

• 1 large red onion, cut in half-moons

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 medium green cabbage (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g), cut in bite-size chunks

• 3 cups (500 g) cooked chickpeas, or 2 cans, drained and rinsed

• 6 cups (1.5 l) low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 bay leaf

• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to make it

1. Cook the onion in a dry soup pot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water whenever it starts to stick.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.

3. Add the cabbage and let it sit a few minutes, stirring now and then, until some edges brown a little. That gives the broth its deep flavor.

4. Add the broth, chickpeas, tamari, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.

5. Simmer about 20 minutes, until the cabbage is soft. Take out the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Amounts are a guide. Add more broth if you like it soupier, and it tastes even better the next day.

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For general education only, not medical advice.