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.
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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.
I made this as directed except only had 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes.
It makes for a perfectly serviceable meal if served with bread, but it’s not something I would get excited to make (even as a cabbage lover). I think it’s a nice base but ultimately didn’t have enough flavor for me to make again. I can see this fitting the bill if you just need a light soup for a weeknight.
Best cabbage soup I’ve ever made!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I liked this recipe quite well. I did make a few substitutions that make it very non-veggie. I used bacon renderings instead of olive oil to cook the veggies, and added a few pieces of bacon to the soup. I had some fresh corn, so used that instead of the beans, and it went great. I think even better would be including kielbasa.
I was thinking about adding corn! Glad to read it went well for you. Might try it next time!
Never had or made cabbage soup before. This was quick easy and delicious. It is now in the rotation. Thank you
I’m so glad you loved it, Randall!
This was great. I didn’t have the suggested vinegar so I used brown rice vinegar, which added a nice tang. It is extremely flavorful, especially considering how simple it is to throw together. I added paprika and zucchini and used green onion instead of yellow onion to help my digestion. It was really good, thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it, Sarah!
This soup looks delicious! Could I use cabbage from my garden that I have harvested and frozen?
Hi Arden, yep! I think that would work well. It may be slightly softer than fresh.
I have made this soup a couple of times now, I absolutely love it! It has so much flavour in it! If you wanted to bulk it even more you can add any kind of protein to it, I have done pan fried ground beef and it was like a de-constructed cabbage roll…. yumm. I have started to track my calorie intake recently and would love for this recipe to have nutritional facts about it so I can continue to make this delicious soup.
Hi Sydney, I’m so glad you love the soup! We are working on adding nutrition info to all our recipes so should get to this one soon.
Can you substitue napa cabbage for the green cabbage?
This. Is. THE. Soup! I recently had foot surgery and knew I would need to be no weight bearing for several weeks. Prior to the surgery, I make a double batch of this soup, adding a pound of browned and cooked ground turkey.
I stored the soup in glass pint jars in my fridge and enjoyed it for days. My mother in law had some & requested the recipe. The vinegar adds a brightness to the soup and really elevates the flavor profile.
When I enjoy a hot bowl of this soup, I really feel like I am doing something good for myself 🙂
This was really nice. I just added some Worster sauce instead of the vinegar and Paprika.
Scrumptious!
Delicious: I used leftover cabbage after making sauerkraut. I also used 2 cans of diced tomatoes to remaining ingredients. A very healthy soup .
easy recipe
what would you add to give it some spice?
red pepper flakes!
Very nice recipe. I make it with a vegetable stock and add an extra can of white beans, a sliced Serrano pepper and liquid smoke. This is made at least 2 times a month in my home.
Thank you. 😊
yum!
Just made this soup. Didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so used fresh Roma tomatoes and added a finely chopped Chipotle pepper in adobe sauce for a spicy smoky flavour. Also added some chopped leftover bacon. It makes a huge pot of soup so I will give s9mecaway and freeze some. It’s delicious. Thank you for the recipe
I love your spicy variation – I’m glad you enjoyed!
Do you think this will work with red cabbage? I have a 1/4 of a huge red cabbage left that I’m trying to use up – and it’s over 2 kgs! (almost 4.5 lbs – and that’s just a quarter of the beast). I’ve already made your quick pickled red cabbage, lots of cabbage salad and coleslaw…
I think I’ll try this soup next.
yep!
Made this tonight, it was delicious. A great base to zhuzh up. I added ground turkey (the hubs has to have meat) some crushed red pepper and paprika. I know that the leftovers are going to taste even better tomorrow as all the flavors sit together in the fridge.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love this soup! I made it the last few years for St Patrick’s Day, but I think I may make it more regularly. It is so easy and delicious, plus cost effective! I may try to adapt for the instant pot using dried, soaked beans eventually. I’m still new to pressure cooking, so I cooked cranberry beans separately and then added them to the soup made on the stovetop. I don’t usually have fire roasted tomatoes on hand, so I added a tsp of smoked paprika (the one I have is a milder smoke flavor, might start with 1/2 tsp for other brands).
Since I first saw this recipe in late fall I have made it perhaps 8 times… that’s about every other week. My wife loves it, and it’s a healthy, filling addition to any meal. I sometimes use other types of vinegar, such as raspberry blush or a mild balsamic, but otherwise stick to the plan. If it works, don’t fix it!
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Ray!
Excellent soup and so easy to change depending if you want to use different veggies or even add some hamburger or sausage . Great recipe !!
I’m so glad you love it, Juniper!