This cabbage soup recipe is deeply flavorful, thanks to aromatic veggies and fire-roasted tomatoes. Pair it with good bread for a simple, nourishing meal.
This cabbage soup recipe does the impossible: it uses an entire head of cabbage in one go! Nearly every time I buy a cabbage, I whittle away at it for weeks, adding some to a slaw, some to a bowl, more to a taco, and so on. So the first time I made this cabbage soup recipe, I was shocked. I started by adding half of my cabbage. As it wilted down, it melted into the soup with the aromatic veggies and herbs. I didn’t want it to disappear – I was making cabbage soup, after all – so I added more. Before I knew it, every last ounce of my cabbage was in the pot!
If you’re on the fence about cabbage, don’t despair. All that cabbage doesn’t overwhelm the soup at all. Instead, it adds a slight sweetness, which balances perfectly with a touch of tangy white wine vinegar. As a whole, the soup is deeply flavorful and comforting. It’s healthy, nourishing, and soup-er (sorry!) simple to make. I think you’re going to love it.
Cabbage Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cabbage soup:
- Cabbage, of course! You’ll need one small green cabbage for this recipe, about 1 pound.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – This classic trio fills the soup with aromatic flavor.
- Garlic and dried thyme – They add even more depth to the soup.
- Potatoes – They make the soup nice and hearty.
- White beans – For plant-based protein! I often use little navy beans in this recipe, but other white beans, such as cannellini beans, would work here too. Chickpeas would also be great.
- Diced fire-roasted tomatoes – Along with vegetable broth, they create the soup’s brothy, flavorful base.
- White wine vinegar – For tang.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It adds richness.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Cabbage Soup Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, ladle the cabbage soup into bowls, and garnish each one with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Enjoy the soup on its own, with good crusty bread for sopping up the flavorful broth, or pair it with a sandwich or salad for a larger meal. I love it with a classic grilled cheese or this sweet potato salad.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s easy to reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Can you freeze cabbage soup?
Yes! Cabbage soup also freezes well. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to freezer-safe containers and store it in the freezer.
Frozen cabbage soup will keep for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Vegetable Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Creamy Asparagus Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Cabbage Soup
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven (I like using my Staub for making soup)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 1 small green cabbage, about 1 pound (9 cups chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
- Add the vinegar, stir, and then add the tomatoes, broth, beans, garlic, potatoes, cabbage, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and cabbage are tender.
- Season to taste, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.
Just Made this and it was spectacular. I did tweak the recipe however Adding kale and collard greens with the cabbage, 2 cups chicken 2 cups veggie broth, red pepper flakes, onion powder, cayenne pepper, tumeric powder and complete seasoning with pink salt and white pepper. 1 cup of sweet potatoes with 1 cup gold and 1/2 cup green & red peppers. Used everything else mentioned in the recipe with Naan bread on the side. My boyfriend who would never consider even trying cabbage soup, ate a entire bowl and wants seconds, it’s just that GOOD. I cooked it on simmer for 40 minutes.
Hilarious! so basically you didn’t make the recipe
I made it exactly as described and found it bland. I had to add Italian Seasoning to enjoy it. I also found it too chunky, more like a stew, rather than a soup. Surprised by the strong reviews, so maybe it’s just me, but I won’t be saving this recipe or making it again.
Absolutely fabulous!!! Loved it a lot.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Peg.
The beauty of your recipes is that they are consistently delicious snd leave room for creativity. I just made it with red cabbage, substituted cauliflower for half the potatoes and used dill instead of time. It’s delicious! Thanks.
I made the cabbage soup recipe as written and it was delicious. Any vegan would enjoy this for lunch or dinner. I served it with some homemade garlic bread and a side salad and it was perfect. Really enjoyable. Thank you for the great recipe..
Can you use a crockpot?
Yes! I put all the ingredients in the crockpot on high for 4 hours and it came out delicious!
Can you use a crockpot for this recipe.?
Respectfully,
Kim
Absolutely loved this soup! It was so easy and so delicious. I did however use chicken broth because I had made some and had it on hand.
Hi Alise, I’m so glad you loved it!
I’m going to make this soup this afternoon. I’ve always found vegetable broth to be much tastier than beef or chicken broth so I’m glad that’s what you called for!! I’m going to add shrimp and a little crab boil to it! I’ll let you know how it turns out and send a good photo!!
Hi Stephen, I hope you enjoy!
This is the best cabbage soup I’ve ever eaten. So glad I made it before being snowed in for several days.
I’m so glad you loved it, Linda!
There are a couple of things that should be changed/ corrected. After everything is added, the soup should be brought to a boil…THEN reduce the heat & simmer for the 20 or 30 minutes. For me, it needed more liquid/broth than 4 cups. Im axious to have f9r supper!!
Same issue with liquid…
Doesn’t seem to be enough.
This soup is delicious! I added it to my favorite recipe folder. Simple but flavorful
Hi Juli, I’m so glad you loved it!
Can I use purple cabbage instead?
I have been using this recipe for a while now. This is absolutely my favorite cabbage soup recipe. It does not last very long in my house.
Hi Kristie, I’m so happy to hear that!
I left out the potatoes and added chicken and I used kidney beans instead of white beans. It was delicious!
I was looking for a recipe that would mimic my mom’s old recipe. This one missed but I was able to doctor by adding honey and far more White Wine Vinegar (to taste).
I love your recipes! Could I substitue sweet potatoes for regular potatoes?
Hi Sue, yep! You could.
I added sweet and regular it was divine
I made this soup for the first time yesterday. It was easy to prepare and the flavor is rich. I love it! I’ve ordered the Love & Lemons Everyday cookbook to try more recipes. I’m so excited!
So good! I followed the directions exactly.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Thank you for posting this r5 star recipe…. It was truly appreciated.. I tweaked it a bit… used crushed tomatoes instead of fire-roasted, used red wine vinegar instead, added Bok choy and excluded the potatoes and beans. This soup was a HIT!!!
So glad you loved it, Lisa!