Red Cabbage Beet Soup and Good-Bye Winter!

Alas! the winter has left, and I am still struggling with accepting the inevitable entry of a warmer season. It takes me a while to get used to it, and from hearing others talking about their excitement of winter being gone, I feel alone in my season preferences. However, it is COOL to be different, so there!

I refuse to stop making soups, and will continue making them until winter rolls around yet again. If you are a soup fan like me, you will enjoy this strange soup conception I came up with below. It works flavor wise, and most importantly, it is really easy to make.

Cheers soup lovers!

Red Cabbage Beet Soup. I served it with cooked red beans and a 'hunk' of bread. 

Red Cabbage Beet Soup

Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 carrots, peeled, and diced
1 medium red cabbage, outer leaves and core removed, shredded or thinly sliced
3-4 medium/small beets, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz can) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon or more sea salt, depending on preference
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable broth (additional cup may be added if too thick)

*1/2 cup cooked red beans per one serving of soup, for garnish (optional)

Directions 
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and carrots in olive oil over a medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add garlic, and all the spices, and continue sautéing for another minute or two. Add a splash of water if necessary to prevent from sticking.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 45 minutes, until the beets are fork tender. If the soup gets too thick, add another cup of vegetable broth during cooking.

Turn off the heat, taste for salt, and add more if necessary. The soup should be sweet, but not that sweet. Confusing? Let me explain. You want to taste the sweetness of the beets in this soup and when adding too much salt, the beet flavor will not come through.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup, but not entirely. Leave some chunks of beets and cabbage for texture. Serve with cooked beans on top and vegan sour cream if you have it.

Eat!