Savoy cabbage: The secret twist to elevate your chicken soup
While searching for the perfect chicken soup recipe, you might come across an unusual tip. Does adding Savoy cabbage to broth make sense? According to us – absolutely. We believe the benefits of this addition will appeal to you as well.
1 November 2024 17:08
Every cooking enthusiast has their own recipe for chicken soup. They usually don't stray far from the generally accepted norm: a portion of meat, soup vegetables, some spices, and a bit of patience because – as is well known – a good broth requires slow cooking. But how about shaking up this traditional method a bit? Let's take a step back to the old days when adding Savoy cabbage to broth was more common than it is today.
Chicken soup with cabbage – is it really a good idea?
Staying on this topic, one cannot avoid the obvious question: does tossing Savoy cabbage into boiling broth make any sense? Or did our ancestors include it more often than we do today simply because other ingredients might have been harder to find back then? No, it's not about "throwing" everything into the pot. It's a deliberate process supported by solid and logical arguments.
Savoy cabbage in broth serves several purposes with the most important being the flavour of the soup. Experts describe this flavour note as nutty and horseradish-like. Is it really the case? Well, for most of us, identifying this might be difficult. However, it's clear that this kind of broth has "something" that a "regular" broth simply doesn't have.
The second point is the health benefits. Probably all of us know that in the autumn-winter period, the vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids in broth work on our body like a healing balm. Adding Savoy cabbage to broth enhances these properties. This vegetable contains a lot of folic acid and potent antioxidants that effectively inhibit inflammation and combat the harmful effects of free radicals.
Chicken soup with Savoy cabbage – tips
Cooking broth with cabbage should follow a specific method. Start with the meat. Place the poultry in cold water and simmer for about an hour and a half. During this time, it's worth skimming off the foam so the soup will come out clearer.
Next, add the soup vegetables: diced carrots, celery, parsley, and charred onion. Also, don't forget the spices, but at this stage, only add allspice and bay leaves. Cook for another hour. As for the cabbage, add it to the broth (cut into quarters and without the core) about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. This way, you'll gain an optimal amount of the new flavour note while limiting the loss of nutritional values contained in the vegetable. Salt the broth only at the very end. And it's ready!
