Vegetable Beef Soup with Cabbage

Whether you're looking for a healthy comfort meal or ways to use up all the fresh or frozen produce you've stocked up in the fridge, this vegetable beef soup with cabbage is sure to nourish you. It's also a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your baby or kid's diet. 

It's over 70 degrees and here we are enjoying hot soup. For me, soup is any-time-of-the-year food! It's easy to make, budget-friendly, versatile, awesome for bulk and freezer cooking, and most importantly, soul-warming! Any fellow soup lovers here? 

Luckily, my toddler loves his soups just as much as his mommy, if not more! I love it because it's a great way to pack in a lot of nutrition into his diet with minimal effort. He struggles with drinking water so it also helps with hydration as well.

Ingredients

Meat: I used ground beef because that's what I have most of on hand. You can use stew meat but will have to cook for much longer.

Vegetables: (onion, garlic, carrot, potato, cabbage). You can use whatever veggies you'd like, fresh or frozen. Root vegetables work especially well. But cabbage is a must, hence the name ;).

Cabbage: Honestly, I didn't cook much with cabbage until we started our baby led weaning journey with our son.

I made a list of all the new foods I wanted to introduce to him, as variety plays a critical role in shaping food preferences, and cabbage was one of them.

I simply steam roasted or braised it, and I couldn't believe just how much he loved it, especially the red cabbage. Since then, I, too, have learned to appreciate this humble vegetable. Who knew cabbage could impart soo much flavor to dishes, especially soups! 

It's also scrumptious in lasagna ;).

Canned diced tomatoes - can use stewed or fire-roasted tomatoes if you want a little smoky flavor.

Step By Step Instructions

1. Cook beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain the excess fat and remove from the pot.

2. Cook the onion first.

3. Add and cook garlic, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, oregano, and pepper.

4. Add the beef back in along with broth and tomatoes. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Tips for Picky Eaters

• If your child is learning to enjoy textures, you can blend the soup to desired consistency. However, since moving forward with texture is so critical, start thinking about keeping it chunkier.
• If your child is hesitant or afraid of mixed foods, serve the ingredients separately - deconstructed style. In the meanwhile, serve a very small portion of mixed soup in a separate bowl for exposure. Don't pressure them to eat it. Just seeing helps take the newness out and make it less intimidating/scary. 
• Don't include a whole bunch of unfamiliar ingredients into the soup or those that your child doesn't like (yet!). Be considerate and add 1 or 2 at most along with those that your child does enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

Now, every hearty soup needs a dunker, no? A wedge of ciabatta or crusty baguette soaking up all the wonderful juices of this beef vegetable soup....Sounds so dreamy. But what I have on hand at this moment is humble frozen sandwich bread, and I shall not complain! 

You can also stir in some cooked grains or pasta (like in this cabbage lasagna). Whether or not your baby or toddler decides to have a go with their spoon, always offer it, again for the sake of exposure. You never know when they'll show interest and great determination to mimic their parents.

Did you make this baby and toddler-friendly Vegetable Beef Soup with Cabbage? Follow me on Instagram post a photo and tag me, post a photo on my Facebook page, or save it to Pinterest. I love to see what you're making!