Cabbage soup ticks all the boxes for comforting, healthy, and low-calorie. But don’t let its simplicity fool you — the blend of sliced cabbage, mirepoix vegetables, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs is plenty flavorful with room to make it your own.
The Cabbage Soup I Always Make—Here’s Why
When soup season hits, this cabbage soup recipe is one of the first meals I make. It’s a bit simpler than my lentil soup or vegetable soup, but just as cozy and flavorful—and it really lets the cabbage shine. If you didn’t know, cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse and one of my favorite anti-inflammatory, low-carb veggies to keep in rotation. So when I’m not making sautéed cabbage or roasted cabbage steaks, you’ll always find a bowl of cabbage soup somewhere on my meal plan. Here are a few more reasons why I make this soup often:
- It’s made in just 30 minutes. Everything cooks in one pot, and after a quick simmer, you’ve got a delicious bowl ready to enjoy. It’s one of the best soup recipes to keep up your sleeves during the cold winter months!
- It’s a budget-friendly meal. Between the veggies, canned goods, and herbs, this soup is light on the wallet, but big on flavor. It’s proof that you don’t need to spend a lot to make something hearty and satisfying.
- It’s extremely adaptable. This soup is light, but there are endless ways to make it as hearty as you want, whether it’s adding ground meat, plant-based proteins, extra veggies, or different spices. I’ve got more ideas below!
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is best for its tenderness and sweetness when cooked, especially in soups. And if you want to use napa cabbage, that works too, but the leaves might wilt a bit more.
- Mirepoix Vegetables: A classic base of chopped white onion, celery, and carrot brings depth and nourishment to the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes: I use regular diced tomatoes, but for a little smoky flavor, fire-roasted tomatoes are a fantastic option.
- Garlic and Herbs: Two cloves of garlic are enough, but if you’re anything like me and love the punch of garlic, feel free to add a bit more! And for herbs, I’m using a fragrant mix of dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley.
- Vegetable Broth: The recipe calls for 4 cups of vegetable broth, but if you prefer a more brothy soup, feel free to add extra. You could also use chicken broth for added flavor.
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 are 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 its 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.
How To Make The Best Cabbage Soup
Sauté the veggies. In a large pot, sauté the diced onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Then, stir in the fresh garlic and spices until fragrant.
Load up the cabbage. Toss in the cabbage and let it sweat for about 5 minutes while stirring frequently. The leaves should become nice and soft.
Add the rest and simmer. Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes, and let the soup simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
Add the final touches. Remove the pot from heat, stir in fresh lemon juice, parsley, cracked black pepper, and it’s ready for serving!
Soup Variations and Tips
- Make it meaty. You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, or any ground meat such as ground chicken or ground beef. The list goes on!
- Add in a vegan protein. For a vegetarian option, you can add white beans, chickpeas, or lentils (just add a bit more broth for cooking).
- Load it up with extra vegetables. Whatever veggies you have on hand, toss them in! A few favorites I love adding are bell peppers, zucchini slices, or leafy greens such as kale or spinach.
- Make it heartier. For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice, similar to my stuffed pepper soup! You could even make the tomato broth thicker by stirring in tomato paste.
- Add more flavor. Add a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat. And for a bigger herbal pop, add fresh rosemary and thyme.
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: Let the soup cool before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze for later: I love keeping a few servings stored in my freezer, especially in this Souper Cubes tray. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- How to reheat: First, thaw the soup overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or add one serving to a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes. If you forgot to thaw, that’s okay, it’ll be fine going straight into the microwave from frozen as well. Just cook until it’s warmed through.
More Cabbage Recipes
- Coleslaw: Everyone’s favorite coleslaw recipe!
- Fried Cabbage: My personal favorite cabbage side dish.
- Pulled Pork, Cabbage, and Arugula Salad: A great way to add fresh cabbage to your salad.
- Warm Sweet Potato Noodles, Cabbage, and Lentil Salad: A loaded, veggie-heavy salad to enjoy this winter.
- Or browse through my list of cabbage recipes or soup recipes for more ideas!
If you make this cabbage soup recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite enameled cast iron pot for ALL my soup recipes.
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
- Cook the vegetables. 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 aromatics. Add the minced garlic and spices and stir for another minute.
- Add the cabbage and let it sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Let it simmer. 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.
- Finish and serve. Remove the cabbage soup from the heat and add the lemon juice, parsley, and cracked black pepper. Give it another stir, then serve.
Lisa’s Tips
- To store for the week: Let the soup cool before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze for later: I love keeping a few servings stored in my freezer, especially in this Souper Cubes tray. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Cabbage soup variations: This is a soup where you can truly make it your own! Be sure to take a look at all the variations I have listed up top in the post
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted March 2021, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Delicious soup! Great recipe.
Thanks so much Pamela! Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup :)
I made this soup and it is my favourite now. Its very tasty and a hearty soup.
So glad you love this cabbage soup Mary!
Really is the best!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup Cindy!
Just made this today with my home made vegetable broth and I added in chicken thigh meat. So yummy!
Thank you!
Wonderful! Glad this soup was a winner.
This recipe is amazing, it’s delicious and freezes beautifully. Light, clean and cost effective.
Thanks Lisa!
So glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup Pari!
Can this soup be frozen and still have the same taste later.
Yes, this can be frozen!
Another big hit! Last night I made you Best Chili recipe and today this one. Delicious! Thank you.
Adria
Hi Adria – that’s awesome you made those two recipes back-to-back! Both great options. I’m happy you enjoyed them!
I made this a few nights ago when it was cold and rainy out. It was so quick and easy and came out great. I sub’d chicken broth since that is what I had on hand and added some chopped fresh green beans, too, since I wanted to use them up. It is the perfect cabbage/veggie soup; healthy, nourishing and comforting. Will definitely make it again. Thanks, Lisa!!
Happy to hear you loved this cabbage soup Kim!
Super easy and amazingly delicious! My husband loves it. I’ll be making this soup again as I still have half a head of cabbage left over and we can’t get enough of the soup. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup Jo!
Such a simple and delicious recipe. Lisa does it again!
Hi Daisy – I’m glad you loved this cabbage soup!
AMAZING! One of our new favorite soup recipes. I added Italian sausage and lean ground Turkey. So good!!!!
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup recipe Claire!
I cannot wait to try this soup. I love cabbage soup and I have tried a lot so I will try this one and let you know how it turned out. I’m also going to be putting corned beef in it. Just because it’s Saint Patrick’s Day.
Hope you enjoyed this recipe Ginny!
I made this to have during a Colorado blizzard and it was so warming and filling and flavorful! It was super easy to make. I used chicken stock and it was great. Will definitely make this again! Thank you for a great recipe 😊
P.S. – hope your kitty is all better!
The perfect way to cozy up on a chilly night! Also, thanks for your kind words Shannon. Unfortunately, we had to put her down.
Outstanding! Loved how easy and quick this was to prepare, too!
Thank you for another huge hit!
Glad this cabbage soup was a hit Lana!
This was delicious… and if you make your own stock wick is very easy, you can control the sodium.
Yes! I plan to eventually make a vegetable or chicken broth at some point :)
Five star status again Lisa!!! Made this tonight for dinner. It’s a hit. I used fiery diced tomatoes. My husband and friends like it on the zesty side. Delish!!!!!
Sounds great with fiery diced tomatoes!
This soup is so delicious! I also added mild Italian sausage. Doubled this recipe to share with friends.
Sounds great with sausage!
Made this for dinner last night, it is delicious! I’ve never had cabbage soup before, but we’ve loved every recipe thus far, so decided to give it a try, it did not disappoint. Thank you!
Glad you finally decided to give this a go Jami!
Hi Lisa, Thx for the idea, I have tried to make this soup, but for me the cabbage stayed soo hard🤷♀️ In 10 mins… I have left for 1 hr, still so hard. It is not better with keel? The taste is great but the texture could be better, what did I do wrong? Thx for your opinion🙏
Unfortunately, I’m not sure as I’ve never had any issues with the cabbage not softening. Did you watch the video to see if you could pinpoint where you may have gone wrong?
Hi, can you confirm the sodium content per serving? 1049mg seems high, thanks!
Hi Delia – yes, that is correct. It’s mostly from the vegetable stock. You could reduce it by replacing the stock with water if you’d like.
Love cabbage so I figured this soup would be perfect! It’s hearty and so yuummmmy, thank you Lisa for the recipe, definitely gonna be on rotation!
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup recipe Lulu!
Making this today for lunch !!!! Looks great! Thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoy this one Gini!
So yummy! Thank you for taking the time time to share.
Of course! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Jennifer!
Great receipe. But needs more kick.
You can always use this as a base recipe and add more spices, veggies, etc… I have a few options listed in the post :)
Beverly, I live in a house that is half Hispanic/half caucasian. And we like every food with a little kick. When I salute my beggies( onion, celery, green pepper, garlic), I also add a jalapeno to it., seeds and all. It gives it a little kick, plus I love lots of pepper. You can also sub, serrano peppers, cayenne, or even red pepper flakes.
I would love to add lentils to this! I have green ones… how would you suggest altering the cook time and amount of liquid? Thank you, love all of your recipes!
Hi Kristi – I would follow my lentil soup recipe, and then add in the rest of the veggies towards the end and let it simmer until all cooked.
The best cabbage soup I every made yummy.
Happy to hear you love this cabbage soup Jackie!
I love cabbage, and for cabbage lover this soup is new taste of what you make at home! I highly recommend, this recepie so delicious! I already tried it, thank you so much for sharing this with us! Best regards from Kazakhstan))
This is definitely a nostalgic soup :) Glad you enjoyed it Tatyana!
Delicious! Made this soup over the weekend and loved it. Such an easy recipe too!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup Naomi :)
Hi!!!
Could I freeze this soup???
As Im just me eating cabbages and i really want to try this 😁
Thanks
Stay safe and cheers
Eileen
Hi Eileen – Yes, you can freeze this soup!
Cabbage is really, really healthy and I’m always looking for more ways to incorporate it into our meal rotations. So, I was really happy to find this recipe on Downshiftology. It was so simple to make and just packed with nutrients. Our house smells amazing and all three kids gobbled up the soup and asked for seconds (miracle!).
Cabbage is such a great ingredient to incorporate into your meals! Glad you found another way to do so with this recipe :)
I make a similar soup and stir in some fat free refried beans as a thickener and boost of protein.
Sounds great Julie!
Thanks Lisa! Like always a very good recipe! 😊🥰
Glad you enjoyed this one Gisele :)
Just finished making this and its the BEST cabbage soup recipe I have ever made by far ! Thank you so much for sharing Lisa !
Glad this cabbage soup was a success Pam!
Yum! This looks like a delicious veggie soup.
Full of veggies and health benefits :)
This soup looks delicious, and simple to make too! Am going to make it soon, thank you for the recipe.
No problem Biana! :)
I love cabbage soup and can eat it everyday, this sounds so easy and flavorful!
Can’t beat this simple, yet flavorful soup!
Oh my, we just love this soup. The cabbage soup is hearty and so easy to make. We will make this often.
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup recipe Eileen!
Warmed up with a bowl of this for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! So hearty and flavorful; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Happy to hear this cabbage soup turned out great :)
Its make me crave for one. I am gonna try it soon.
Enjoy this delicious cabbage soup!
It does look like the best cabbage soup! Can’t wait to try it! Thank you so much for this great idea!
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Aura!
Hi Lisa. In the recipe you use vegetable broth, is it homemade or from a cube
Thank you Maddy uk
Hi Maddy – the broth I used in this recipe is store-bought from a carton.
This was so simple and delicious! I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables in my daily diet and this is a perfect addition.
This is a great and easy way to do that :)
We are making this now and it smells fantastic!!
Hope you enjoyed this one Dan!
Absolutely delicious!
Such great flavor
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle!
Thanks Lisa! This is a wonderful low cal recipe! I’m always on the lookout for different soup recipes and this definitely sounds and looks amazing!
Excited for you to try this one Divya!
Can I use red cabbage for the cabbage soup?
Hi Lucie – You can use red cabbage, though it might alter the flavor a smidge.
Now just add two small grated beets and you’ve got borscht!
Great idea Patricia :)
Hi liza,I made most of your recipes soo amazing,the beetroot hummus and flaxseed crackers very tasty,also lentil soup very calming,I will try the cabbage soup.cheers!
Can’t wait for you to make this one Joan!
Hi Lisa: Really looking forward to making this recipe as cabbage is a staple in my low carbohydrate (candida healing) diet these days. Thank you.
One thing I’ve noticed that might be helpful, and I hope I just haven’t missed something here, is that when you send out an email with an invitation to see your newly created recipe,
it would be wonderful to have a link in that email that would take one right to the recipe.
Thanks for all your creativity and sharing.
Susan
Hi Susan – I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s so light and nourishing! For the weekly emails, if you click on any of the photos in the email it will take you directly to the recipe. :)
Hi Susan! You just need to click on the picture of the meal! 😉
Yumm
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Jeanne!