Turn French Onion Soup Into A Heartier Meal With This Veggie

One of my favorite winter soups is French onion — it's flavorful, comforting, and really fun to eat. It can also be pretty versatile. In fact, you can try something new by adding cabbage the next time you make it to increase your veggie intake, stretch your recipe, and have something a little more hearty.

French onion cabbage soup is a nutritious, easy-to-freeze twist on a classic. Not only is it tender and sweet, but cabbage also adds a delightful richness. As if you needed more reasons to throw some in, cabbage is chock-full of health benefits, including improving digestion and heart health. This cruciferous anti-inflammatory provides more than half the vitamin K you need in a day, and is a great source of vitamin C, which has a whole cadre of health benefits, including potentially lowering the risk of certain cancers.

The trick when adding cabbage to your French onion soup is to cook it with the onions in batches. Because cabbage has a high water content, the onions and cabbage will spend a lot of time steaming instead of caramelizing if you throw them all in together, so don't crowd your pot. If you're intimidated about working with cabbage, don't be — here's how to core cabbage like a total pro. And while, yes, there is a difference between green cabbage and red cabbage, it doesn't matter which you choose for this soup, as it will still come out robust and hearty.

Because the cooked cabbage adds an extra layer of texture, crispy bread is going to be even more important to round out this dish. When it comes to how to keep bread from getting soggy in French onion soup, make sure to toast it. Alternatively, you could use croutons — and I'd recommend making them a little bigger than usual.

For the broiled cheese on top, your go-to cheeses for French onion soup should be hand-grated gruyere and mozzarella because both melt beautifully. Even though mozzarella is mild in flavor, gruyere's tanginess adds a necessary element that adds depth and naturally complements the umami and savory flavors of the soup.

The easy addition of cabbage makes it possible to whip up flavorful vegetarian version with vegetable stock and soy sauce. But if you're not a vegetarian, the secret pantry ingredient you need for better French onion soup, though, is gelatin. Sprinkle in the powdered version when caramelizing your onions and cabbage to add more richness and guarantee a smoother consistency in the finished product. So take a risk and add cabbage to your French onion soup. It's easy, delicious, and only helps your health.