Cabbage Roll Soup & Eating For The Environment
As many of you know, I am studying plant-based nutrition through an online program offered by Cornell University.
Yesterday, I watched a very powerful lecture by Bruce Monger who teaches oceanography at Cornell. The lecture was on the environmental impact of eating an animal-based diet on the ocean.
I wanted to share some of it with you because he explained it in such a way that would inspire anyone to think twice about their food choices on the environment. Here are just a few points he made about our oceans and the expanding dead zone regions.
Dead zones are low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans and large lakes. No organism that requires oxygen for growth can live in a dead zone. In other words, it is inhabitable for any sea or lake life.
Since the 1990s, we have seen a dramatic increase in our use of nitrogen fertilizer. We have put more nitrogen fertilizer on the ground in the last 20 years than we've put on the ground since fertilizer was invented.
The increase in nitrogen fertilizer is due to the global demand for meat. In the United States alone, 70% of all grain and cereals we grow in this country with fertilizer, are fed to farmed animals. Now, here is how that nitrogen fertilizer creates dead zones.
When intensive farming allows fertilizer to permeate water supplies through runoff, it increases the levels of nitrogen that ultimately reach the ocean. In the ocean nitrogen stimulates the growth of algae, which dies and sinks to the bottom.
Bacteria uses it as food which reduces the oxygen to zero and kills everything in the area. Hundreds of square miles of the ocean are being made uninhabitable.
The good news. Dead zones are reversible.
A major drop in fertilizer usage is one of the answers. The only way this can be accomplished is to halt our growing demand for consuming farm animals. Simple but true.
You can make a difference by encouraging your family and loved ones to stop consuming animal products. Not only will you save their health and the environment, you will no longer participate in the cruelty that farm factory animals have to endure. It is a win, win proposition and a great way to feel better about yourself.
Now on to food. If you love cabbage rolls, you will love this cabbage roll soup.
I like to think of it as a deconstructed cabbage roll. Serve it with a side salad and some toasted bread, and I promise your family will be back for more. Vegan or not.
I used Lightlife veggie crumbles to add more depth and richness to this dish. It was my first time using them and they were delicious.
High in protein, low in fat and no chemicals. I don't use a lot of faux meat but sometimes it can add a texture that you might miss when you go plant-based. Not all faux meats are equal so check the labels carefully especially for sodium content.
Beyond Meat who makes non-gmo, kosher, fake chicken strips is adding a new line of imitation cooked ground beef which would work perfectly in this soup. Hope you enjoy this cabbage roll soup as much as I did.
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Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a peaceful and compassionate day.
- 1 package of Veggie Protein Crumbles
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 head of cabbage, chopped
- 2 cartons (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
- 1 carton (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 cup veggie broth (more as needed)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup pasta orecchiette (or pasta of your choice)
- Dash or two of hot sauce
- In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil.
- Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and veggie crumbles and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped cabbage,veggie broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, bay leaf, black pepper and sea salt.
- Bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add more veggie broth if needed
- Add pasta orecchiette and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until pasta is done.
- Remove from heat and add fresh parsley and hot sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve.
Thanks for the mention and sharing this great recipe with us and the great information about the environmental effects of nitrogen run-off on the world’s oceans. We’d love to feature this on our Recipe Program on http://www.beyondmeat.com!
You are welcome and welcome to share!