Simple clean ingredients full of comforting flavors, this Cabbage Soup is healthy, satisfying and easy to make. Perfect for busy weekdays and leftovers are delicious! Vegan. Looking for more? Check out our 26+ Amazing Cabbage Recipes!
We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.
joseph campbell
This Simple Cabbage Soup hits the spot when you are in the mood for a healthy soup that is quick to throw together. The cabbage gets melty tender and sweetens up as it simmers in the flavorful broth. The ingredients are common and create comfort in a bowl.
The humble cabbage is often underappreciated and taken for granted. This soup is here to celebrate cabbage and bring it front and center! Along with being inexpensive, versatile, and having a long shelf life, cabbage is highly nutritious with a very low glycemic index, and a great source of potassium and fiber, which are key nutrients for heart health.
Serve it up just like it is or enhance it with protein, grains, and whatever extra veggies you may have on hand.
Do you love broth based soups? For more inspiration take a look at our 20 Best Broth-Based Soup Recipes on the blog.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients In Cabbage Soup
- Ingredient Notes
- What To Serve With Cabbage Soup
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- Simple Cabbage Soup
Ingredients In Cabbage Soup
Ingredient Notes
- Veggies: Cabbage, Carrots, Mushrooms, Onion & Garlic, switch these up to what you have on hand.
- Spices: Smoked paprika-creates a full flavor base along with thyme and bay leaf
- Vegetable broth– try our favorite recipe!
- Sherry Vinegar (Red Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider is fine too).
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Cabbage Soup
STEP ONE– Gather and chop all your ingredients. Cut cabbage in one inch chunks.
STEP TWO– Sauté onions with olive oil in a heavy soup pot for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Turn heat to medium and add in mushrooms sauté another 5 minutes. Add more olive oil if needed or put a lid on for a minute this will let the mushrooms sweat and soften without adding more oil.
STEP THREE– Add garlic, cabbage, carrots, smoked paprika, thyme, dijon, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Mix until tomato paste is fully distributed.
STEP FOUR– Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add parsley and sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar).
Ways To Enhance
Variation suggestions if you want to make the soup more hearty
- Boost up the protein with beans– white beans, kidney beans, chickpeas or meat– veggie meat or ground turkey, chicken or beef
- Thicken and add texture with diced potatoes or grains– wild rice or barley
- Like it Spicy? Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo
What To Serve With Cabbage Soup
Faqs
Cabbage is loaded with nutrients, folate, and fiber. Cabbage may help reduce inflammation, help digestion, and lower cholesterol.
Cabbage contains sulforaphane which helps the body fight against toxins. Cabbage also contains glutathione, an antioxidant that may help with the detoxifying function of the liver.
Yes, it freezes great and cabbage will be even more tender when reheated.
More Recipes You May Enjoy
Hope you enjoy this soup. Let us know your favorite version!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Simple Cabbage Soup
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Simple clean ingredients full of comforting flavors, this Cabbage Soup is healthy, satisfying and easy to make. Perfect for busy weekdays and leftovers are delicious! Vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound, 4-5 cups cabbage, cut in large chunks about 1 inch
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth, flavorful!
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar– a little sharper so start with 1 teaspoon or try champagne vinegar)
Instructions
- Sauté onions with olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add in mushrooms sauté another 5 minutes. Add more olive oil if needed or put a lid on for a minute this will let the mushrooms sweat and soften without adding more oil.
- Add garlic, cabbage, carrots, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaf, dijon, tomato paste, salt, pepper. Mix until tomato paste is fully distributed.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add parsley and sherry vinegar (champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar).
Makes 7 cups
Notes
- Boost up the protein with Beans: white beans, kidney beans, chickpeas or Meat: veggie meat or ground turkey, chicken or beef
- Thicken and add texture with diced potatoes or Grains like wild rice or barley
- Like it Spicy? Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 3/4 cup
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 785.3 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.2 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 9.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This was so good! I used water (no broth) and it’s still delicious. Added a couple big scoops of sour cream to the whole pot once it was done cooking and cooled down a little bit. Also added a potato. I used a blend of fresh mushrooms idk why but this simple soup is so good!
So glad you enjoyed Alyssa!
I had never had a cabbage soup before. This was wonderful! I used purple cabbage (because that’s what I had), and the colors were beautiful. I also added a ripe red jalapeno for some zip. So good! Thank you!
Sounds so pretty Janet! Glad you liked it.
Made this tonight and was disappointed. Won’t be making it again. I followed the recipe exactly as you had it but added a few more carrots and one potato. So many of the recipes I have tried were absolutely delicious but not this one. I don’t know whether it was the smoked paprika or the fact that there is sooo much cabbage and not much else. Just my opinion.
Sorry about that Sherry- maybe just not for you? Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Just made this and my dad says “this is a winner, can I have some more?”. Thanks for a delicious soup recipe. Was in a hurry, but next time will make your cornbread recipe to go with this.
Glad he enjoyed it Linda!
This is excellent! I think the unusual addition of dijon mustard and smoked paprika is what takes it over the top. Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed this Heather!
This was delicious! Hearty, earthy, and very flavorful. I used chicken broth and added some vege meatballs. I only had apple cider vinegar, and it was absolutely the key in balancing the flavor. Definitely a keeper for my recipe book!
Glad you enjoyed this!
Easy and delicious. I didn’t have Dijon mustard or parsley, but the smoked paprika added amazing taste. I added some red lentils for more protein. I used Imagine no-chicken broth. Excellent – its a keeper.
So happy you enjoyed this!
Easy and delicious. I didn’t have Dijon mustard or parsley, but the smoked paprika added amazing taste. I added some red lentils for more protein. Excellent – its a keeper.
Great to hear Lily!
The recipe as is was incredibly bland. I’ve been doctoring it up but I wouldn’t male it again
What kind of broth did you use Randy? Just curious if you followed the recipe exactly and what you think makes it taste better?
So tasty! I added spicy Italian pork sausage and it added some really nice flavor.
Sounds great!
Delicious!! I added ground turkey and a can of cannoli beans. Will definitely be making it again.
Sounds tasty Alice!
Wow! This was the most delicious cabbage soup recipe I’ve had. I went with Better Than Bouillan as the base. Since it’s so potent and flavorful, I used 2 instead of 4 fresh garlic cloves, and added a bit more water than 4 cups. Turned out perfectly.
Excellent Rachel, so glad you enjoyed and adjusted to your taste!
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! This recipe is quite the keeper! 🙂 Because I’m diabetic and need to watch calories, I omitted all olive oil and just water sauteed the onions and mushrooms. I also used boxed organic vegetable broth to save time. I’m pretty sure these two changes made little difference to the most wonderful flavor profile. The soup was very satisfying and also felt a bit “Ayervedic” in its wholesome, fresh simplicity. I considered adding a bit of brown rice – but it didn’t need it! Simply delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe – it’s going in my Family Recipe Binder to keep for future generations. -Christina E, SoCal
Thank so much Christina! I am so happy this soup nourished you!