Cabbage Soup
443 Comments
Updated Dec 15, 2023
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Cabbage soup is about as comforting and healthy as they come! All you need to do is simmer a bunch of sliced cabbage with mirepoix vegetables, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs for an easy and delicious, low calorie meal.
Because you all loved my lentil soup so much, I couldn’t wait to make this cabbage soup. It’s cozy, flavorful, and all sorts of healthy thanks to the nutritional powerhouse: cabbage! This vegetable shines bright with health benefits (which I’ll get to below) and is a great anti-inflammatory and low-carb veggie to include in your routine.
And while this soup is on the lighter side, there’s so many ways to make this the hearty, winter soup of your dreams. It’s truly one of the most adaptable soups! You can add in ground meat, plant-based proteins, extra veggies, different spices and the list goes on. Needless to say, this is a warming, soothing recipe you’ll want to keep up your sleeve during the cold winter months!
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
While cabbage takes center stage in this soup, the supporting ingredients add tons of flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is best for its tenderness and sweetness when cooked, especially in soups.
- Mirepoix Vegetables: Chop up white onion, celery, and carrot for a nourishing veggie base.
- Garlic: Two cloves are great, but if you’re like me and love garlic, feel free to add a little more!
- Herbs: A combo of dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley for herbal goodness.
- Diced Tomatoes: I’m using regular diced tomatoes, but feel free to use fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Vegetable Broth: While this recipe uses 4 cups, you can add extra for a more brothy soup.
- Olive Oil: Gives the sautéed vegetables life in this soup recipe.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Health Benefits Of Cabbage
Not only is this cruciferous vegetable easy on the wallet, but it’s chock-full of health benefits! The list is pretty extensive, but here’s 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 body’s cells.
- An anti-inflammatory superstar: With it’s strong 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 “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar.
- Helps with weight loss: Because cabbage is low in calories, the “cabbage soup diet” has been known to help shed a few pounds. But…you know I’m 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
If 30-minute meals are your jam, you’ll be happy to know this is one of them! Just quickly chop some vegetables, let it all simmer, and you’re ready to serve.
- Sauté the veggies: In a large pot, sauté the diced onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and spices.
- Load up the cabbage: Let the cabbage sweat for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently. It should get nice and soft.
- Add the rest: Pour in the vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes, and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
- Add the final touches. Remove the pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, parsley, pepper, and serve!
Flavorful Variations
The beauty of this soup is that it’s the perfect blank canvas. So if you want to make it extra flavorful or satiating, give these options a try!
- Beef it up with meat. You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, beef chunks, ground turkey, and the list goes on!
- Add in a vegan protein. For a vegetarian option, you can add in white beans, chickpeas, or lentils (just add a bit more broth for cooking).
- Load it up with extra vegetables. Whatever veggies you love, toss it in! A few favorites I love to add are bell peppers, zucchini slices, or leafy greens such as kale.
- Make it satiating with carbs. For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice.
- Add some heat. A dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will add just the right amount of heat.
- Add more herbs. For a bigger herbal pop, add in fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Thicken the base up. Stir in some tomato paste to make the tomato broth a bit thicker.
How To Store And Reheat
- To store leftovers: Make sure to let your soup come to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Ways to freeze: Once the soup is moderately cooled, pour it into a freezer safe container or silicone freezing tray for pre-made servings. It will stay good for several months in the freezer.
- How to reheat: To reheat a single serving, pour it into a bowl and microwave it for a few minutes until warmed through. And for a bigger batch, just pour it back into the pot and warm it up on the stovetop.
More Easy Cabbage Recipes
The beauty of cabbage is that it can take on so many forms! From raw to cooked, here’s a few delicious ideas to add to your list.
- Sauteed Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage
- Pulled Pork, Cabbage, and Arugula Salad
- Warm Sweet Potato Noodles, Cabbage, and Lentil Salad
And if you’re looking for more cozy winter soups, check out my selection of soup recipes!
If you make this cabbage soup, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
BEST Cabbage Soup
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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 minced garlic and spices and stir for another minute.
- Add the cabbage and let it sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 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.
- 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
- If you love my big soup pot, it’s this Le Creuset round Dutch oven.
Nutrition
©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.
This was easy and delicious. I added a can of corn and a can of black beans. Definitely a keeper.
Hi Marian – So glad you loved this cabbage soup!
My favorite!!! I added ground pork to mine and used chicken broth but otherwise the same!
Hi Anne – I’m glad you love this cabbage soup!
I made this and I was shocked as my husband loved it! He is a meat eater, so I was not sure he would go for it. Loved I had some leftovers so I could freeze for a night when I don’t feel like cooking. I made add some ground beef to the next batch, for him. Very good.
Hi Deborah – Happy to hear both you and your husband love this cabbage soup! You can always add meat to it as well to make it heartier.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband loves soup and this recipe is very tasty!
Happy you both love it!
Thank you for this recipe! My husband loves soup and this recipe is very tasty!
Happy to hear you both loved it!
This is truly a great and easy soup! Don’t skip the lemon at the end. As for the broth I mixed equal parts Beef broth and Italian herb broth by Better Than Bouillon! Keeper!
Thanks so much, Leslie!
Delicious!! I feel like I need a detox after all the holiday eating :(
This was full of flavor along with all the good for you vege’s…I even added some kale and spinach since I had some in the fridge. Thank you for all of your delicious recipes!!
I’m right there with you, Jenny! Hope this cabbage soup gave you the dose of veggies you needed. :)
SO delicious and full of flavor. I added chickpeas, and four small diced red potatoes–it was amazing! Will definitely make this again, and have already forwarded the recipe to my mom.
Love the addition of the chickpeas. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite soups! It’s so delicious and easy to make. I started adding kielbasa after reading someone’s suggestion in the comments here 😊 the lemon juice at the end gives it a delicious flavor.
Could you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Yes, no problem.
I was wondering if you would know how many calories are in a cup.
TIA / Suzanne in BC , Canada
Easy and delicious. Just out of rehab so no energy for serious cooking. This hit the spot. I added some green pepper, wood ear mushrooms ( my favorite),and cilantro. Now I have enough so I don’t have to cook again for a few days.
Hi Harriet – Happy to hear you love this cabbage soup!
The best cabbage/vegetable soup I’ve ever had! I am so excited to have found this recipe – the video was so helpful. I’ve made it twice in the last month and this last time made enough to freeze. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks so much.
Hi Susan – Oh wonderful! I’m glad you love this cabbage soup.
This is an easy recipe and actually was surprised my family enjoyed it. We have health restrictions with my husband. So this soup perfect!
Nothing beats the ease of this cabbage soup!
Hi Lisa. Made your delicious recipe this afternoon. Had everything on hand, only added a couple of bay (Laurel) leaves. Thank you, this is a keeper.
Anne
Tasmania, Australia 🌿👏
Wonderful, I’m happy you loved it, Anne!
I have now made this recipe twice. It is super delicious and not very hard to make. Makes for great left overs. This was the first recipe that I made on Lisa’s website. I have made the Garlic Crusted Prime Rib since. I’m a believer and will be making more and more of her recipes.
That’s great to hear your first recipe here was a success, Mitch!
Thank you for another delicious and budget friendly meal. My husband was skeptical when he heard Cabbage Soup was for dinner, but his first bite totally changed his mind! I didn’t have diced tomatoes or parsley on hand, so subbed roasted red peppers and basil. Both worked beautifully. We also added some ground pork seasoned with Italian seasoning. This will be in our regular fall/winter dinner rotation!
I’m happy he was pleasantly surprised, haha! Sounds great with those substitutions as well. Enjoy!
This is such a tasty soup! I have never made cabbage soup before and was delighted how easy and delicious this recipe is… The lemon juice made all the difference for me! Thank you sharing!
Yes, the lemon juice really does add a bright punch of flavor. Happy you loved it, Jane!
I have to confess… this soup is on repeat at my house. I have stopped counting how many times I’ve made it.
It’s just perfect. And it was the first recipe I’ve made from Downshiftology. After that I got hooked.
Oh yay, it’s always fun to hear which are the first recipes people stumble on. And you picked a good one with this cabbage soup! Happy you love it!
just made this, added a can of coconut milk at the very end and 2 chicken sausages chopped up in the very beginning also a bit more celery and carrot than called for. its so good and super filling, i had a small sample bowl and i’m stuffed.
Hi there! I’m so glad you loved this cabbage soup. Sounds delicious with all that extra goodness!
My husband said it was as good to be served in a fine restaurant .😊Absolutely delicious and easy to make
Oh yay! I’m glad this cabbage soup was delicious as can be!
I just made this soup and it’s amazing. I only added one more ingredient and that was cilantro.
I’m glad you loved it! Cilantro is a great addition as well, it’s one of my favorite herbs.
I used half a small bag of frozen mirepox carrots, celery and onion. Added a little more celery, better than bullion, and 1 packet of dry onion soup mix since I’m lazy on seasonings – omitted the salt. Tastes so good!! And I used the whole cabbage so had to add more water.
It’s definitely a flexible recipe, so I’m glad you were able to tweak it to your liking. Enjoy!
Made this soup and absolutely loved it.I have been making this soup for a long time but had never sautéed the veggies. Just boiled them.,What a game changer!! I added brussel sprouts and green beans. Thank you for reinventing an old favourite!
You’re more than welcome, Joanne! And yes, sauteing the veggies really adds more flavor. Glad you loved it!
This soup is wonderful as it is, but since I can’t leave a recipe alone, I added chicken, edamame pasta, bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, and a splash of Franks Red Hot. To die for!
This cabbage soup has plenty of room for additional ingredients!
I really enjoyed this soup. I’m looking forward to lunches this week now.
I’m happy you loved this cabbage soup, Anna! It’s perfect for a quick-and-easy lunch reheat. :)
After a long Fall morning of raking leaves, I was looking for something quick and easy to make then came across your cabbage soup recipe. It was delicious and full of flavor. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup, Mary!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. It was so flavorful for such few ingredients and I loved how quick and easy it was to prepare. Thank you
I’m thrilled to hear you love this cabbage soup, Vicky!
Made this tonight , so quick easy and delicious! Thank you for another wonderful recipe :)
You’re more than welcome, Megan! Happy you loved it!
I add chicken and it’s twice as delicious as it was without. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup with chicken!
I made the cabbage soup today. It was delicious, easy and quick.
Happy you loved it, Jo!
Love it!
Thanks Marie!
I made the cabbage soup. It was quick, easy and delicious
That’s great to hear you love this cabbage soup, Sandra!
Very easy to make: perfect for my son that is having surgery. He can either sip on the broth or have some of the veggies, all is perfect for post surgery.
This cabbage soup is great for overall wellness! I hope your son enjoys this cabbage soup and has a speedy recovery, Tammy.
Can you add sweet potato instead of regular?
Yep, that’s fine!
Looking forward to making this. What serving size is the nutritional info coming from?
There are 4 servings in the recipe, so it’s the entire recipe divided by 4. But next time I make it I’ll try to measure out a single portion (I estimate it’s probably 2 cups). :)
Lisa, I can’t figure out where that much sodium comes from. You only add 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe, which is 1200 MG for the whole pot. Do you know how much sodium is in the broth? I’m sure you can tell I’m newly to a reduced sodium diet (2000 MG a day – not quite a teaspoon). I’ll use reduced sodium broth and watch my portion sizes.
I love your channel! I appreciate your attention to detail and clear explanations. I use All Clad pots and pans too. 9 years and they still look and function like they were new.
Hi Susan – Thanks for catching that! We have adjusted the recipe card, so the nutritional information should be correct now.
I LOVE this soup. I first tried it last year and fell in Love!! I chock it full of all kinds of veggies including chili beans (pintos) and green beans… also a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper. The flavor is out of this world. I also add chipotle and or black pepper for a kick. I’m looking forward to having it next week to kickoff my soup season. Can hardly wait. I also have a friend who lives at a care facility and doesn’t like their food. She loves my soups, so I share every week. Thank you for this yummy recipe, Lisa. It’s a real WINNER!! :P
Thrilled to hear you’ve been loving this cabbage soup!
This soup was really easy to make and tasted delicious with some turkey meat as we had some leftover, lots of extra garlic and all fresh oregano, basil and parsley from the garden. Never used lemon before in a soup but this was a very tasty addition. I also omitted the tomatos.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup! Sounds great with turkey meat as well.
Why is there so much sodium in this soup. What causes this.
I believe the nutrition info is pulling in regular broth, versus low-sodium broth.
Canned tomatoes can add sneaky salt, you should be able to get low sodium tomatoes.
I love the soup. It’s only me, so I will be freezing most of it. Have you ever tried pureeing it to make a cream cabbage soup?
I haven’t tried that yet, but it sounds delicious. If you do, let us know how it turns out!