Cabbage Soup
749 Comments
Nov 13, 2024
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Cabbage soup ticks all the boxes for comforting, healthy, and low-calorie. But donāt let its simplicity fool you ā the blend of sliced cabbage, mirepoix vegetables, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs is plenty flavorful with room to make it your own.
The Cabbage Soup I Always MakeāHereās Why
When soup season hits, this cabbage soup recipe is one of the first meals I make. Itās a bit simpler than my lentil soup or vegetable soup, but just as cozy and flavorfulāand it really lets the cabbage shine. If you didnāt know, cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse and one of my favorite anti-inflammatory, low-carb veggies to keep in rotation. So when Iām not making sautĆ©ed cabbage or roasted cabbage steaks, youāll always find a bowl of cabbage soup somewhere on my meal plan. Here are a few more reasons why I make this soup often:
- Itās made in just 30 minutes. Everything cooks in one pot, and after a quick simmer, youāve got a delicious bowl ready to enjoy. Itās one of the best soup recipes to keep up your sleeves during the cold winter months!
- Itās a budget-friendly meal. Between the veggies, canned goods, and herbs, this soup is light on the wallet, but big on flavor. Itās proof that you donāt need to spend a lot to make something hearty and satisfying.
- Itās extremely adaptable. This soup is light, but there are endless ways to make it as hearty as you want, whether itās adding ground meat, plant-based proteins, extra veggies, or different spices. Iāve got more ideas below!
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is best for its tenderness and sweetness when cooked, especially in soups. And if you want to use napa cabbage, that works too, but the leaves might wilt a bit more.
- Mirepoix Vegetables: A classic base of chopped white onion, celery, and carrot brings depth and nourishment to the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes: I use regular diced tomatoes, but for a little smoky flavor, fire-roasted tomatoes are a fantastic option.
- Garlic and Herbs: Two cloves of garlic are enough, but if youāre anything like me and love the punch of garlic, feel free to add a bit more! And for herbs, Iām using a fragrant mix of dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley.
- Vegetable Broth: The recipe calls for 4 cups of vegetable broth, but if you prefer a more brothy soup, feel free to add extra. You could also use chicken broth for added flavor.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Health Benefits Of Cabbage
Not only is this cruciferous vegetable easy on the wallet, but itās chock-full of health benefits! The list is pretty extensive, but here are a few notes that highlight why everyone raves about cabbage:
- Jam-packed with nutrients: These leaves have a mighty dose of Vitamin C (which is a great immune booster), along with fiber, potassium, magnesium, and a variety of other nutrients.
- Loaded with antioxidants: Aside from Vitamin C and manganese, cabbage really shines with phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that help prevent damage to your bodyās cells.
- An anti-inflammatory superstar: With its strong anti-inflammatory agents such as sulforaphane and glutamine, cabbage can reduce irritation, pain, fever, and other bodily disorders.
- Great for digestion: Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, in a good way. It also keeps you regular, and it could help lower your ābadā (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar.
- Helps with weight loss: Because cabbage is low in calories, the ācabbage soup dietā has been known to help shed a few pounds. Butā¦you know Iām not a fan of detox diets and quick fixes. Your body still needs more nutrients from other foods. So just enjoy this soup for the vegetarian goodness that it offers.
How To Make The Best Cabbage Soup
SautƩ the veggies. In a large pot, sautƩ the diced onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Then, stir in the fresh garlic and spices until fragrant.
Load up the cabbage. Toss in the cabbage and let it sweat for about 5 minutes while stirring frequently. The leaves should become nice and soft.
Add the rest and simmer. Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes, and let the soup simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
Add the final touches. Remove the pot from heat, stir in fresh lemon juice, parsley, cracked black pepper, and itās ready for serving!
Soup Variations and Tips
- Make it meaty. You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, or any ground meat such as ground chicken or ground beef. The list goes on!
- Add in a vegan protein. For a vegetarian option, you can add white beans, chickpeas, or lentils (just add a bit more broth for cooking).
- Load it up with extra vegetables. Whatever veggies you have on hand, toss them in! A few favorites I love adding are bell peppers, zucchini slices, or leafy greens such as kale or spinach.
- Make it heartier. For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice, similar to my stuffed pepper soup! You could even make the tomato broth thicker by stirring in tomato paste.
- Add more flavor. Add a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat. And for a bigger herbal pop, add fresh rosemary and thyme.
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: Let the soup cool before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze for later: I love keeping a few servings stored in my freezer, especially in this Souper Cubes tray. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- How to reheat: First, thaw the soup overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or add one serving to a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes. If you forgot to thaw, thatās okay, itāll be fine going straight into the microwave from frozen as well. Just cook until itās warmed through.
More Cabbage Recipes
- Coleslaw: Everyoneās favorite coleslaw recipe!
- Fried Cabbage: My personal favorite cabbage side dish.
- Pulled Pork, Cabbage, and Arugula Salad: A great way to add fresh cabbage to your salad.
- Warm Sweet Potato Noodles, Cabbage, and Lentil Salad: A loaded, veggie-heavy salad to enjoy this winter.
- Or browse through my list of cabbage recipes or soup recipes for more ideas!
If you make this cabbage soup recipe, Iād love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if youāre hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
BEST Cabbage Soup
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite enameled cast iron pot for ALL my soup recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Ā½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Ā½ teaspoon dried basil
- Ā½ teaspoon salt
- Ā½ cabbage, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 4 to 6 cups vegetable broth, depending how thick or brothy you'd like it
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Ā¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and add the diced onions, carrot, and celery. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the aromatics. Add the minced garlic and spices and stir for another minute.
- Add the cabbage and let it sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Let it simmer. Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened to your liking.
- Finish and serve. Remove the cabbage soup from the heat and add the lemon juice, parsley, and cracked black pepper. Give it another stir, then serve.
Lisa’s Tips
- To store for the week: Let the soup cool before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze for later: I love keeping a few servings stored in my freezer, especially in this Souper Cubes tray. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Cabbage soup variations: This is a soup where you can truly make it your own! Be sure to take a look at all the variations I have listed up top in the post
Nutrition
Ā©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted March 2021, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I usually add sausages to my cabbage soup as my mother did.
I’m sure this tasted amazing with extra sausages, Linda. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious. It is simmering now. Make double batches, it’ll last 2 to meals.
Hi Lila – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup! It really is great for meal prep.
Delicious. My family loves it & itās even better the next day!
Thrilled to hear the whole family loves this cabbage soup, Lin!
This is a wonderful recipe! easy and so delicious!
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup, Nini!
Absolutely delicious!
Thrilled that you’re loving this cabbage soup, Lucille. Enjoy!
Looks great and healthy
It sure is! Can’t wait for you to try this, Kathleen.
I was so surprised how good this was!! It looked healthy and I thought it would be fun for St. Patrickās Day. What I didnāt know was how rich it would taste! Buttery without butter, and a bit sweet too (maybe from the basil-?)?! Delish! Thanks for another great recipe.
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This cabbage soup may be simple, but it’s also packed with flavor! Glad you chose this recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Vanessa!
Loved this, plus started to lose weight. THANKS FOR POSTING!!! SO Healthy and flavorful.š¤©
I’m glad you loved this cabbage soup, Phyllis!
Great healthy soup! I used to do the cabbage soup diet years ago, but this soup is the best. I added a can of chili beans because thatās what I had. Garbanzo beans would be great in here as well. A great way to get all your veggies in for the day
The addition of beans sounds delicious, Teresa! Happy to hear you’re enjoying this version of cabbage soup and can tweak it to make it your own.
Me and my boyfriend are doing 75 hard and this is a great way for us to stay in our calorie intake goal. We added some beef stew meat to bump the protein up a bit and it was delicious
Hi Mikko – Glad you found the perfect way to beef up this cabbage soup for your 75 hard program!
great soup! Easy! Love it! Tasty!
I’m so glad you’re loving this cabbage soup, Beverly!
Made this today, a cold and rainy day in Henderson, NV. I only had dry parsley and added 1 tsp with the other herbs. No lemon š¢. But it’s a keeper. My family Loved it ā¤ļø.
The perfect meal for a rainy day! Happy the whole family enjoyed this cabbage soup, Catherine.
Cabbage soup is the best
Happy you love this cabbage soup, Rose!
I recently made this cabbage soup recipe with a few variations. I added a 7 Oz can of tomato sauce and more spices. Turned out excellent and l am looking forward to finishing it this week.
This cabbage soup is the best blank canvas to work with! Glad you found what works for you, John.
Delicious!! I used low sodium chicken broth and added green bell peppers. I will make it again
Hi Robin – Love the addition of green bell peppers, enjoy!
Years ago, I tried the Cabbage Soup “crash” Diet, so I never thought I’d willingly make cabbage soup again! But this recipe is super flavorful and a great addition to my meals without feeling restrictive. Now, I enjoy it alongside other filling dishes.
I’m so glad you found a cabbage soup recipe you love that doesn’t feel restrictive!
Delish!!
Great recipe, thank you! First time I followed the recipe as written using 4 cups broth.
This time I added 1 cup cubed Yukon potato, 1 can cannellini beans, drain/rinse, a Parmesan rind & increased broth to 6 cups. Just had a bowl for breakfast, so satisfying. Thanks again!
I’m loving your personal twist on this cabbage soup! I’m sure the beans and parmesan rind gave this such great flavor and texture, Mary!
Very easy and tasty- made to recipe but you could easily use whatever you had.
Thank you for sharing!
Of course, Joan! Glad you enjoyed this simple yet versatile cabbage soup.
Great recipe! Made in crockpot and turned out delicious! Added bite size pieces of ham steak. I love all of lace, healthy recipes!
Thrilled to hear this cabbage soup turned out perfectly in your crockpot! Sounds great with ham steak as well, Marie. Enjoy!
Absolutely yummy and healthy!
I put in some lentils and a can of mild rotel!
I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
I will be making this through out the year itās that yummy!
Hmmmm, maybe fresh baby spinach and some sliced baby Bellaās next timeā¦
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup, Gail! This really is such a great base soup to add all sorts of ingredients to it.
This cabbage soup was delicious. Nothing better on a cold Michigan day than a bowl of comfort soup that isn’t full of calories. The first time I made it exactly to your recipe and you don’t need to change a thing. The next time I will make a double batch and set some aside and add rotisserie chicken for my carnivore husband. I am sure this would freeze beautifully also, if there was any left!
Thanks for all your delicious healthy recipes!
Hi Kelly – Happy to hear you and your husband have been loving this cabbage soup! Adding rotisserie chicken will be a delicious addition and great for added protein.
Lisa,
I love this cabbage soup and have made it so many timesā¦ sometimes I add beans or grilled chicken and sometimes I just add veggies I have in the refrigerator. Itās such a forgiving recipe.
Iād love your opinionā¦ how do you think it would be if I made it exactly to your recipe but added chunks of cod. Thoughts?
Thank you!
Hi Deborah – This really is a forgiving recipe, especially with the chunks of cod you mentioned! I think it would be a delicious addition. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Loved it very tasty
Happy to hear it, Ronda!
If I want to use a slow cooker instead, what settings do you suggest? Thank you!
Delicious! I added 8 oz of tomato sauce and some Worchestershire sauce to make it more umami. Also some bow tie noodles.
Hi Erin, love all the additions you threw into this cabbage soup. Sounds delicious!
Love ypur recepies.I am a senior who is trying to eat healthier and save a few dollars so myor meals work so well for me. THANKS
I’m glad you enjoy them, Jofie!
Haven’t had this since I was a child (long ago!), and it tasted just like my mom’s! My mom passed recently and this brought back so many great memories! Thank you for that and for this easy delicious recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it and that it brought back fond memories for you!
Great as is.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup as is, Ed!
Good but a bit bland. I added extra garlic, pepper, and parmesan. Maybe some salt would of helped. Bet it will taste better tomorrow. Either way, a good, healthy bowl of soup.
Hope you enjoy it!
Great soup! So quick and easy. My only additions were garbanzo beans for some extra protein and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. I made this with the other half of the cabbage I had after making roasted cabbage steaks. Perfect on a cold day!
Love those additions, Cathy! Thanks for sharing.
This Cabbage is definitely one of my top 5 favorite soups! The recipe is simple and easy to follow. Thank You Lisa for all that you do! I love your book and every recipe Iāve tried so far was a hit with my family!
Hi Izabela – Thrilled to hear you’re loving several Downshiftology recipes, including this cabbage soup! Sounds like this will be a recipe that’ll be on repeat for winter. Enjoy!
Hi Lisa, so glad I stumbled on your recipes when looking for cabbage soup! Without doubt itās the best veggie soup Iāve made with just simple ingredients and not having to add anything more (unless you want to) thanks a million, i will be following your posts.
Fast, easy and tasty! Great combination. I roasted the veggies before adding into recipe as, I have the time and thatās what I do.
Love that you took the time to do that, Lorraine!
I love this cabbage soup! It truly is the best. I added a little kidney beans, artichokes, brussels sprouts, and new potatoes. Love it, love it, love it. Iāll definitely be making this soup again.
Thanks so much, Victoria! I’m happy you loved it. And great additions as well!
It turned out well. I took the lazy way out. I used a bag of coleslaw mix, Italian seasoning, onion, tomatoes, celery and chicken stock. It turned out very good.
Hi Michele – Nothing wrong with using a little shortcut for prepping the vegetables! Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup.
Excellent recipe. For those who don’t care for stewed tomatoes or chunks, add a bit of V8 juice or Spicy V8 for a little kick. Yummm.
Oh my gosh!! This is the best cabbage soup I have ever had!! Thank you for sharing your recipe
So glad you love this cabbage soup, Kelly!
Great recipe that is healthy, flavorful, and very versatile too! I love the amount of vegetables. Today, I added a little broccoli, about 1/4 C of pinto beans and a very small amount of cooked chicken. I took your advice and added a pinch of red pepper flakes. Itās terrific!
This will be added to my repertoire and itās a great way to add the veggies I have on hand.
Thank you!
This is the perfect way to use all the leftover veggies in your fridge! Happy to hear it was such a hit, Deborah. Enjoy!
Many years ago I made this soup. I remember adding hamburger.