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
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 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
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, salt, and several grinds of fresh 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.
made it & it’s terrific! easy, filling and so warming & satisfying for a cold, raw day.
wanted to print it as a keeper in my recipe file but your print ‘button’ doesn’t work as it prints blanks – can you check your website?? thx!!
Great soup! I also added spinach and topped with cheese. May add a splash of hot sauce to my next bowl full. So many ways with this fabulous soup
My husband and I are trying to eat healthier foods, and this will definitely be on the repeat list for us to help. We both love this soup!!
Hi Cathie, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Thanks for another great recipe – we ate 1/2 the pot as written and then added a small amount of sauerkraut (per a reviewer’s suggestion) and it was a fun, tangy addition – both ways were delicious , healthy and satisfying for this vegetarian!
Hi Sue, love the sauerkraut idea! I’m so glad the soup was a hit.
Hello! This soup sounds really nice! I’d love to try it with ground beef, and beef broth, any suggestions? Would you recommend adding anything, omitting anything, or adding extra of anything?
I added 1 lb ground beef and 1/2 c tomato juice. I just used the vegetable soup recipe as the starter. I didn’t put the wite beans in it. If you want to add ant other vegetables to it, in my opinion it’s just what you like. I’m putting green beans in mine and maybe a can of corn too. This makes it vegetable beef soup.
I have made this recipe several times and freeze some to have it readily available. I do not add the potatoes because I don’t eat them. It is a delicious soup packed with nutrients. Thank you!
Hi Carol, I’m so glad you love the recipe!
This looks delicious! I’m wondering if you could just throw in a few chopped beets and call it borscht? The ingredients are very, very similar. YUM!
We’ve never thought to try that, Bette. Great suggestion!
Great soup! I used what I had: a little diced fennel instead of celery, puréed some whole canned cherry tomatoes rather than chopped canned tomatoes, red potatoes rather than Yukon gold, and kept the white beans at one can rather than half a can (I halved the soup, which I won’t do next time! I’ll freeze the remaining soup since it’s so tasty)
Hi Summer, I’m so glad you loved it!
Would love to know the nutrition facts for this soup. Have it simmering right now.
Hi Mel, unfortunately, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes, but you could use an online nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal to get an estimate.
Hello! Can you tell me what the serving size is for this recipe (1 cup, etc)? I see that it serves 6 but o don’t see how big the serving size is. I plan to make a large batch and freeze in silicone trays and want to make a very large amount as I will be eating it daily for quite, for an indefinite amount of time! I am hoping you will email me the answer! Thank you! I love your recipes❤️
Hi Anita, we don’t have an exact cup yield for this recipe, but I’d estimate that one serving would be 1 1/2 to 2 cups. I hope this helps! So glad you love the recipes.
The soup was almost perfect as is! I felt it needed just a little something, and somewhere (maybe in the comments even?) I read to add sauerkraut to cabbage soup for a depth of flavor. I added a small can of sauerkraut, and the soup is absolutely perfect!
I’ve made it twice now- I add in some cumin and coriander and about 1/2 a jalapeño. It jazzes up nicely! Honestly, it’s one of those soups I can’t get quite enough of- truly love it!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Hi Aurora, so glad you enjoyed the soup!
I love making this. I only add 1/2 russet potato. I add caraway seeds, brown sugar, vinegar, paprika, San Marzano tomatoes mashed, 1/2 c uncooked rice and a little extra water or stock. I slice the onions to match the cabbage. Added cooked chopped beef and sausage. I put everything in this soup! Comes out great every time! Tried it with fresh dill and sour cream, beets!
Hi MJ, I’m so glad you love the recipe!
Second time in 2 weeks making it! Added cauliflower left out beans. Still so yummy. Looking for nutritional value?
Hey! There’s a website you can use for free to figure out nutritional value. Just enter in ingredients and servings and it’ll generate an estimate.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Thank you Shannon!!
Hey! There’s a website you can use for free to get nutrition values. Just enter ingredients and servings and it’ll generate nutritional estimates.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made this minus the potatoes and sea salt. I also used the fire roasted salsa style diced tomatoes – Kroger brand and bone broth. This soup is so flavorful! Delicious!!!
Making this now, with a few variations. I didn’t see the nutritional information, is that available?
Mandy
Oh, also, do you think red cabbage could work here? Thanks again 🙂
Does the quantity for the beans refer to the weight of the can instead of the net weight of the beans? So we’re not adding 15 ounces of beans? I’m asking because I would like to prepare the beans myself prior to making this recipe. Thanks a lot in advance!
the quantity of the beans is the volume of the can that the beans were stored in. cnn says that “one 15-ounce can of beans, once drained, yields about 9 ounces (or 255 grams) of beans. Because dried beans double in weight when cooked, you’ll need the halve the amount you use in recipes with canned beans. So 4.5 ounces (or 128 grams) of dried beans should be equivalent to one can; 9 ounces (or 225 grams) of dried beans to two cans and so on.”
Thank you!
This soup is very tasty! It has a bit of a smokey flavor, which was a pleasant surprise (I guess from the fire roasted tomatoes). I might even add smoked paprika next time. I like that the potatoes and beans give it some heartiness (I used russet potatoes and navy beans, as that’s what I had on hand. It makes a lot so I’m freezing some for later. Thank you for this recipe!