Spicy Sausage & Bok Choy Soup

If you want a very low carb and low calorie filling meal, you might like this soup made with bok choy, which is the lowest carb of the cabbage family, and can of course be made with other cabbage or kale at a somewhat higher carb-cost.  This is also an inexpensive meal.  The sausage gives the rather bland bok choy a lovely flavor.

For medium spicy choose a sausage like andouille or chorizo, for mild use a Polish or Italian type of dense sausage.

12oz (or more) of sausage

2 Tbs dripping

1/2 cup diced onion

1 large head bok choy (about 10 cups)

4 cups beef or chicken stock

Opt: 1/2 tsp pepper flakes

Saute the onion and sausage in the dripping, or other fat, until it is a bit browned, then add the bok choy and saute a further 3-4 minutes before adding the stock. You might need to add some additional broth or water if you want a soupier soup. The flavors should be nicely combined after 30 minutes.

I pour the whole thing into my slow cooker and let it simmer for several hours.

NUTRITION FACTS –8 servings

Amount per Serving

Calories 159

Calories from Fat 103.4

Total Fat 11.49g

Saturated Fat 4.4g

Cholesterol 31.08mg

Sodium 445.92mg

Total Carbohydrate 5.18g

Dietary Fiber 1.54g

Sugars 2.24g 

Protein 8.42g

Layered Cabbage Casserole

One head of Napa/chinese cabbage, steam until tender, let cool a bit, then cut into 3-4 inch sections and separate.

Layer in a glass casserole dish, I like a 9×13 size. Alternate layers with any savory meat mixture such as you might use for lasagna, along with cheese, end with cabbage. Cover with marinara or any cream sauce. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes. You can also microwave, but I prefer the browning of the oven version.

Homemade Fermented Cabbage aka Sauerkraut

I recently saw a recipe for fermented cabbage on Dr. Terry Wahl’s website. She and many others encourage us to eat more fermented, probiotic foods which are so good for gut health. I looked at a few different recipes and did a variation of hers. I decide to give this a try, and found it was very easy, and I really like the taste.

One head of cabbage (regular round white-green type)

1-2 Tbs of seasalt

lidded container

Finely chop or shred one head of cabbage, then pack into the jar sprinkling a little salt as you go along (larger cabbage will need more salt, I used just 1 Tbs for a smaller head). When you have packed the jar with all the cabbage, take boiling water and just cover. Place a large glass or other container filled with water directly on top the cabbage to keep it under the liquid. Cover lightly with a towel or cheesecloth if desired. Leave jar to sit out for 2-4 days or until you can taste the fermentation, at which time cover with the lid and keep the in refrigerator.

Note: If you have had any antibiotics recently, they tend to damage or kill off normal intestinal bacterial, and you need to eat fermented foods like this kraut, or greek yogurt, etc., to return to a health level of gut bacteria.

Bacon Cabbage Soup

I love cabbage and bacon, so this is a wonderful, tasty, and easy soup that fits the bill. 

Serves 4-6

4 cups white cabbage

2 slices bacon

4 Tb bacon dripping

2 T onion (scallions are good)

1T diced pimento/red bell pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper for spicy or paprika for mild

4 cups chicken broth

2T tomato paste

Fry bacon, but don’t crisp; add additional bacon drippings,  onion, cabbage, peppers, and saute for a minute or two then add the broth.  Bring to the boil, then reduce temperature to low and cook for 30 minutes or until cabbage is soft. Even tastes better the next day.

Kenyan Curried Cabbage with Lamb

I found a version of this recipe a couple years back and it quickly became a favorite of mine for leftover lamb; plus, you can add lots of additional fat and that just makes it all even better.

1/2 a head of cabbage (white, savoy, bok choy) chopped

2 T onion diced

2T bacon grease

2T coconut oil

2-3 T curry powder

1 c leftover lamb steak/leg, diced into 1″ pieces

1/2 c sour cream

salt-pepper to taste.

Saute the onion for a minute or two, then add the cabbage, stir to coat well with the fat, then add curry powder to your taste, I use a lot.  Toss in the lamb and simmer for 15″ or more.  Stir in the sour cream and serve with an additional dollop on top.