Ingredients :

• White cabbage — This is what gives it body. Not kale, not red cabbage — just ordinary, inexpensive white cabbage that’s easy to slice. It melts into the broth while keeping a bit of bite and absorbs all the aromas. A quarter of a head is plenty.
• Vegetable broth — The base of everything. If your broth is bland, your soup will be too — simple as that. Avoid overly salty cubes. Use homemade if you have it, otherwise a good quality store-bought version. It should taste good even before you add the vegetables.
• Canned crushed tomatoes — They provide acidity, color, and that slightly sweet-and-sour base that balances the carrots’ sweetness. One 400g can. No need to drain them — the juice is part of the broth.
• Garlic — Two to three cloves, not a single one less. Raw garlic in a long-simmering broth mellows out and loses its pungency. If you don’t like finding pieces, grate it directly into the pot.