Nourishing Cabbage Rice Soup

A soothing Cabbage Rice Soup with lemon and ginger - light, nourishing, and thoughtfully balanced. Finish with chili crisp if you like heat. Make a batch for the week ahead, and you’ll have a healthy vegan meal at the ready.

After all the holiday feasting, my body is crying out for gentle, soothing meals. Yes, I love to indulge a bit – but try to balance it out with nourishing everyday meals like this simple cabbage rice soup. What I love about this soup, besides its wholesomeness and affordability, is how simple the ingredients are. Yet the flavor of lemon and ginger has me coming back for more! Finish it with chili crisp for a bit of heat and crunchy texture.

Why You’ll Love This

1. Simple ingredients. It’s amazing how frugal ingredients, like cabbage, rice, onion, and broth, can come together to create a comforting, cozy, steaming bowl of soup.
2. Quick & easy. Only 15 minutes of hands-on prep time, it comes together in about half an hour.
3. Wholesome & nutritious! Vitamin-rich vegetables and broth make this a nourishing soup for a boost during the winter months.
4. Freezer-friendly. Perfect for meal prep.

Ingredients

• Cabbage: Use shredded green cabbage, savoy cabbage, or red cabbage.
• Rice: Use a sturdy white rice like Basmati rice or Jasmine rice. You can use brown rice, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
• Onion, garlic, and ginger: Sautéed onion, garlic clove, and fresh ginger impart deep, savory, and aromatic flavor. You can substitute ginger paste.
• Red pepper flakes: For a hint of heat!
• Vegetable broth: Or use chicken broth. Try our homemade vegetable broth or homemade chicken stock for the deepest flavor. Or use veggie bouillon paste (see notes).
• Bay leaves: Optional, but adds a lovely fragrant, herbal taste.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice brightens the soup with vibrant, citrus flavor.
• Scallions: Adds a touch of pungent, aromatic flavor for a bold finish.
• Garnishes: Scallions, cilantro, crispy shallots, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a spoonful of chili crisp, or a drizzle of sriracha.

Variations

• Add meat: Add shredded chicken or any browned ground meat for extra protein.
• Add plant-based protein: For plant-based protein, add chickpeas, white beans, or lentils.
• Add potatoes: For a hearty soup, diced Yukon gold potatoes make a nice addition.
• Add more veggies: Boost the veggie content with carrots, celery, or tomatoes.

How to Make Cabbage Rice Soup

1. Sauté the aromatics. Add olive oil to a large soup pot and turn to medium-high heat. Sauté the yellow onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and stir for a few more minutes, until tender. Stir in the chili flakes.

2. Add cabbage, rice, and broth, and simmer. Shred the whole head of cabbage, then add the shredded cabbage, rice, vegetable broth, sea salt, black pepper, and optional bay leaf to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. When ready, the cabbage and rice should be tender. Stir in 2/3 of the scallions.

3. Add lemon juice and taste and adjust. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Taste and adjust, adding more salt and lemon to taste. If it tastes too salty, add a little water.

4. Serve and garnish. Divide the soup into bowls and top with desired garnishes, such as scallions, cilantro, crispy shallots, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a spoonful of chili crisp (my favorite!), or a drizzle of sriracha.

Chef’s Tips

1. Don’t be tempted to add more rice. Adding too much rice will result in rice porridge- trust me.
2. Taste and adjust. When adding lemon juice, taste the soup to adjust the lemon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes to your preference. This is where the magic happens!
3. Don’t skip the garnishes! The garnishes really elevate the soup, adding extra flavor and texture. Add scallions or cilantro for something fresh and herby, crispy shallots for crunchy texture, toasted sesame oil for depth and complexity, and chili crisp or sriracha for heat.
4. Make a double batch and freeze the rest for later. This soup freezes beautifully (for 3 months). Make a double batch so that you have a quick and nutritious meal for when life gets busy.

Serving Suggestions

After you load your soup up with garnishes (scallions, cilantro, crispy shallots, toasted sesame oil, chili crisp, or sriracha), serve this cozy soup with warm, crusty bread, like sourdough or a baguette, or serve with scallion pancakes!

Serve with a side salad like Bok Choy Salad or Fennel Orange Salad.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.

More Soup RECIPES You Might Like

Easy Cabbage Soup

Asian Cabbage Soup

Golden Chickpea Soup

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

40 Vegetarian Soup Recipes For Chilly Nights

20+ Best Broth-Based Soup Recipes

Print