Healthy, Wheat-free, Low-carb, Paleo Ham and Cabbage Soup

Healthy nitrate-free ham and cabbage soup! Wheat-free, paleo friendly, clean, quick and cheap. Now that's my kind of soup. 

We eat this soup at least every week or two. My husband has always loved a
basic cabbage soup - even before we went clean. It is packed with
vegetables that are packed with nutrients so I'm happy to oblige. What's
nice about it is that 1) cabbage is cheap (and I am cheap) and 2) cabbage has a long shelf life so you can throw this together quickly when your supply of fresh
vegetables is getting low.

I try and always have a head of cabbage in the fridge for soup, coleslaw or
even just fried up with some butter and spices for a side dish. Maybe its
the Ukrainian in me but I think its just delicious.

I made this broth from the chicken bones left over from a rotisserie
chicken but you can easily substitute organic chicken or vegetable stock.
And leftover chicken can also be used in place of ham. I usually dice and
freeze ham to have on hand for soups, pizza and omelets because my girls love it. 

This is a very basic soup. A basic soup that will help you get to that
sometimes elusive 5 cups of vegetable quota for the day. To jazz it up you
can throw some pumpkin seeds and/or diced avocado on top before serving.
And if your meal is lacking in protein sprinkle some hemp seeds on top to give it a boost.

Healthy Wheat-free, Low-carb, Paleo Ham and Cabbage Soup

1 tbsp organic coconut oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, finely minced
5 cups cabbage, chopped
2/3 cup carrot, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1 cup ham (nitrate free), diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth - I made my own by boiling the bones/skin from a rotisseirie chicken with some carrot and celery tops for 1/2 hour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tbsp dried or fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
Dash of celery seed

In a soup pot, melt coconut oil and saute the garlic and onion until softened. Add in cabbage and carrot. Cook on medium heat until cabbage and carrot are softened. About 10 minutes. Stir often. Add celery and ham. Continue to fry for about 5 minutes. Add broth, spices and tomato paste. Reduce heat to a low simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Serve

I topped with some pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) before serving. You could also throw some hemp in to add some protein.