Cabbage Soup

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Cabbage soup is about as comforting and healthy as they come! All you need to do is simmer a bunch of sliced cabbage with mirepoix vegetables, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs for an easy and delicious, low calorie meal.

Cabbage soup in a bowl on a table.

Because you all loved my lentil soup so much, I couldn’t wait to make this cabbage soup. It’s cozy, flavorful, and all sorts of healthy thanks to the nutritional powerhouse: cabbage! This vegetable shines bright with health benefits (which I’ll get to below) and is a great anti-inflammatory and low-carb veggie to include in your routine.

And while this soup is on the lighter side, there’s so many ways to make this the hearty, winter soup of your dreams. It’s truly one of the most adaptable soups! You can add in ground meat, plant-based proteins, extra veggies, different spices and the list goes on. Needless to say, this is a warming, soothing recipe you’ll want to keep up your sleeve during the cold winter months!

Ingredients for cabbage soup on a table.

Cabbage Soup Ingredients

While cabbage takes center stage in this soup, the supporting ingredients add tons of flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need.

  • Cabbage: Green cabbage is best for its tenderness and sweetness when cooked, especially in soups.
  • Mirepoix Vegetables: Chop up white onion, celery, and carrot for a nourishing veggie base.
  • Garlic: Two cloves are great, but if you’re like me and love garlic, feel free to add a little more!
  • Herbs: A combo of dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley for herbal goodness.
  • Diced Tomatoes: I’m using regular diced tomatoes, but feel free to use fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
  • Vegetable Broth: While this recipe uses 4 cups, you can add extra for a more brothy soup.
  • Olive Oil: Gives the sautéed vegetables life in this soup recipe.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Health Benefits Of Cabbage

Not only is this cruciferous vegetable easy on the wallet, but it’s chock-full of health benefits! The list is pretty extensive, but here’s a few notes that highlight why everyone raves about cabbage:

  • Jam-packed with nutrients: These leaves have a mighty dose of Vitamin C (which is a great immune booster), along with fiber, potassium, magnesium, and a variety of other nutrients.
  • Loaded with antioxidants: Aside from Vitamin C and manganese, cabbage really shines with phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that help prevent damage to your body’s cells.
  • An anti-inflammatory superstar: With it’s strong strong anti-inflammatory agents such as sulforaphane and glutamine, cabbage can reduce irritation, pain, fever, and other bodily disorders.
  • Great for digestion: Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, in a good way. It also keeps you regular, and it could help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar.
  • Helps with weight loss: Because cabbage is low in calories, the “cabbage soup diet” has been known to help shed a few pounds. But…you know I’m not a fan of detox diets and quick fixes. Your body still needs more nutrients from other foods. So just enjoy this soup for the vegetarian goodness that it offers.
Mixing ingredients in a pot for cabbage soup.

How To Make The Best Cabbage Soup

If 30-minute meals are your jam, you’ll be happy to know this is one of them! Just quickly chop some vegetables, let it all simmer, and you’re ready to serve.

  • Sauté the veggies: In a large pot, sauté the diced onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and spices.
  • Load up the cabbage: Let the cabbage sweat for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently. It should get nice and soft.
  • Add the rest: Pour in the vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes, and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
  • Add the final touches. Remove the pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, parsley, pepper, and serve!
A pot of cabbage soup with a ladle.

Flavorful Variations

The beauty of this soup is that it’s the perfect blank canvas. So if you want to make it extra flavorful or satiating, give these options a try!

  • Beef it up with meat. You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, beef chunks, ground turkey, and the list goes on!
  • Add in a vegan protein. For a vegetarian option, you can add in white beans, chickpeas, or lentils (just add a bit more broth for cooking).
  • Load it up with extra vegetables. Whatever veggies you love, toss it in! A few favorites I love to add are bell peppers, zucchini slices, or leafy greens such as kale.
  • Make it satiating with carbs. For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice.
  • Add some heat. A dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will add just the right amount of heat.
  • Add more herbs. For a bigger herbal pop, add in fresh rosemary and thyme.
  • Thicken the base up. Stir in some tomato paste to make the tomato broth a bit thicker.

How To Store And Reheat

  • To store leftovers: Make sure to let your soup come to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
  • Ways to freeze: Once the soup is moderately cooled, pour it into a freezer safe container or silicone freezing tray for pre-made servings. It will stay good for several months in the freezer.
  • How to reheat: To reheat a single serving, pour it into a bowl and microwave it for a few minutes until warmed through. And for a bigger batch, just pour it back into the pot and warm it up on the stovetop.
Cabbage soup in a bowl on a table.

More Easy Cabbage Recipes

The beauty of cabbage is that it can take on so many forms! From raw to cooked, here’s a few delicious ideas to add to your list.

And if you’re looking for more cozy winter soups, check out my selection of soup recipes!

If you make this cabbage soup, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

BEST Cabbage Soup

4.97 from 320 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This cabbage soup recipe is a cozy and healthy blend of cabbage, veggies, and herbs for an easy, low-carb meal. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cabbage, chopped
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 4 to 6 cups vegetable broth, depending how thick or brothy you'd like it
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
  • cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and add the diced onions, carrot, and celery. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the minced garlic and spices and stir for another minute.
  • Add the cabbage and let it sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
    A pot cooking up cabbage soup.
  • Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened to your liking.
  • Remove the cabbage soup from the heat and add the lemon juice, parsley, and cracked black pepper. Give it another stir, then serve.
    Stirring ingredients in a large pot for cabbage soup.

Lisa’s Tips

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3106IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cabbage Recipe, Cabbage Soup, Cabbage Soup Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.97 from 320 votes (96 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




601 Comments

  1. What I love about this recipe is that you can add to it based on what you have in your fridge. I started with 1 pound ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic, celery, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, bay leaves, thyme, lemon pepper, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and water. Sorry I know it’s annoying when people change the recipe: just think this is a great one on its own, and a good reason to lighten your produce bin in the frig14 stars

  2. I love this soup! Cabbage is not my favorite veggie but in this soup it’s delicious. I use a small bag of cole slaw mix & a small bag of red cabbage because it’s a pretty color. I also use diced tomatoes with green chilies for a little extra kick.5 stars

  3. I have left a previous comment about this soup in the past but it’s one of my favorites on your blog and I’ve made a lot of your recipes! As you stated above it’s just so adaptable and every time I make it I throw it something else- it’s kind of like a fridge clean out soup haha! I also love the brightness of lemon at the end as it balances everything out. I eat soup all year long and like to keep some in my freezer for quick meals.Yes, I eat a lot of soup! I have chronic pain issues so it takes me time to prep my veggies- sometimes I cheat and get coleslaw mix. It’s just so nourishing to have something that is not junk and tastes good! Thanks!5 stars

    1. Thanks for leaving another rave review, Valerie! Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup so much.

  4. This soup was delicious! I’m planning to make it again tonight. The only thing I added was a bit of ham in bite-sized pieces!5 stars

    1. I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but generally you would cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

    2. I’ve made this in the slow cooker. It was still very tasty, but it loses some of the texture. I love the crunchy texture so probably will continue to make it on the stove.

  5. Enjoyed this recipe.
    Followed Recipe ito a T with the exception of adding a few white potatoes and a little bit of tomato paste.
    I’ll definitely make it again
    I may add some cooked ground beef to it or cooked ground turkey For protein5 stars

  6. This soup is excellent. So hearty with all the veggies I added lentils for some more plant protein. Love having my freezer stocked with soups to take for easy lunches,

  7. This is a very good recipe for several reasons. 1. It is delicious as written and made (except that I left out the parsley-a personal preference predating finding this recipe by several years).
    2. It is also very instructive. It gives the possibility of many variations – tools if you like.
    3. I was able to make it to suit my wife who really doesn’t care for cabbage!
    4. It is very good cold right out of the refrigerator. It can be a late night snack.
    5. It, in all its variations, proves that healthy eating can be excellent.5 stars