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!
Can I blend this cabbage soup?
You could, but it’s best to keep as is.
The best! Made multiple times – some with macaroni pasta or with chicken. Winner recipe!
This soup is absolutely delicious, for something that is so simple to make and is just veggies and seasoning, I would give this 5 star+ yum!
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup!
Love this recipe for cabbage soup
💖 Just right!!!
I’m going to make this this weekend Fter going to store. Looks yummy
Loved it! Used Napa cabbage, jalapeño and cilantro! Will make it again and again! Large comfy bowl of deliciousness!
Love this soup! I was looking for a variation of just my basic veggie soup recipe and viola! I used reduced sodium chicken bone broth and didn’t miss the miss the salt at all. I didn’t have the fresh herbs so I used a dried Italian seasoning blend and “Italian style” diced tomatoes. I doubled the recipe so I will have lots of fun adding the protein ingredients you suggested. Thank you!
PS…is the nutritional info posted per serving (based on 4 Servings) or is that the total for the whole pot? I’m putting it in my food diary. Thanks again!
Glad you loved this cabbage soup Maureen! The nutritional information for all recipes will be per serving.
Re “Best Cabbage Soup” Recipe. The recipe makes 4 servings. What is the size of each serving, a cup, a half-cup, 2 cups…
Thanks.
PS The soup is really good!
Each serving is about 2 cups.
I think this is a great soup! I just added more herbs than required by the recipe! Excellent
I love cabbage any way it’s prepared. I love this soup and I will make it again and again. Thank you for sharing.
I went on a cooking spree yesterday and made two of your recipes. This one was SO GOOD! And so was the fritatta, but I’ll review that one separately. (Giving it 5 stars as well!)
I’m having the soup leftovers for lunch today and it’s even better the second day. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe except to use a can of tomatoes with the basil, garlic and oregano seasoning already in it, simply because that’s all I had on hand. Will definitely make this again and again, and I keep thinking it will be good with little meatballs, too. But it’s perfect on its own. Thank you so much for all of these great recipes, Lisa!
I was looking for a way to use up cabbage in the fridge and I’m glad I stumbled upon this recipe. We prefer meaty soups so I added 1lb spicy italian sausage. Very tasty :)
Your soup sounds delicious, I can’t have tomatoes do think I could sub beets. I make a no tomato sauce
with beets that I use for a sauce on pizza?
Definitely give that a try!
Cabbage soup is hearty and taste magnificent. Followed directions, only added extra dried parsley, large bunch of spinach and 1 bay leaf. I used to do keto but found recently a need to add fiber in my diet. My body or gut will not tolerate artificial sweetners, so I’ve opted for a high nutrition and fiber diet. Your recipes fit this requirement. Thanks❣
We loved the cabbage soup. I was wondering if you could add rotisserie chicken to it . Would it still help you lose weight?
Yes! This cabbage soup really is a blank canvas for you to add all sorts of veggies or proteins.
Made Chili for the first time ever ! This recipe is so easy and delicious . Thank you . A keeper for sure . I used the smoked paprika and added crushed tortilla chips on top along with the avocado , green onions , grated cheese and a little sour cream . Your video and recipes are all so clear and easy to follow. Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out .
Thrilled to hear you loved this cabbage soup Mimi!
Delicious and very easy, quick dish.
Hi, I am going to make your cabbage soup, I read a comment from a different recipe that said to add allspice to counter the gas that may develop, should I put some in this recipe? This is my first attempt at making soup, and I don’t know what spices work together. Thank you for your guidance.
Honestly, the best soup i have ever tasted !!
When u say one onion, would that work out to be half cup, whole cup? Onions vary
I would say about 3/4 cup, but it will depend on the size of your onion.
Just made this — wonderful taste! I added coriander, pepper flakes and I used plain water. Still great! Thank you for a terrific soup . . .
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup Christina!
I think you omitted the cabbage from the recipe. How much do you use ?
Hi Natalie – the ingredient list calls for 1/2 a cabbage, chopped.
Love this recipe. So easy! Today is my 2nd time making it this month, perfect for a frigid day in Michigan!
When I first thought of cabbage soup, I thought healthy but blah. This soup is anything but blah! The added veggies and spices make this soup one of my favs for a cold evening. I added some black beans for a little extra protein and even my grandchildren enjoyed it!
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this cabbage soup! It is simple, but you can also add your favorite veggies or proteins into this to beef it up :)
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I took your suggestions adding two medium diced potatoes and a pound of dry green lentils to add protein to the recipe. I used no-salt added crushed tomatoes (28 oz) and a combination of low sodium broth and water as I watch the sodium content. I always up the fresh garlic, added 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and two bay leaves to flavor the added lentils. Excellent recipe. Thank you.
Glad you loved this cabbage soup Amy!
Made this soup last night for supper. Absolutely delicious and so easy. Since my husband would have been looking for meat I made up some meatballs and dropped them in to cook in the broth together. So good!
Made the Cabbage Soup. It was delicious!!! And gone before I was done wanting some more!!! Thank you!!!
Thrilled to hear this cabbage soup was a success Lynn!
Hi Lisa: I’ll be making this soon, I know it’ll be excellent. I can’t have tomatoes but will add 1 Tbsp tomato paste (a can of tomatoes will be too much).
This recipe is so good and simple to make. It makes a lot so I had several meals for my family.
Glad you and your family are loving this cabbage soup Amber!
Mmmm- delicious! One tbsp of lemon juice was enough to give it a nice tang for me! Question: If I want to add potatoes next time I make this when would be the best time do do so?
I would add potatoes before you add the cabbage, as they need a longer cooking time.
How long can this be stored for in the fridge ?
The storage instructions are listed above. :)
can you use dry parsley please ?
Yes, you can use dried parsley, though I’d recommend only a tablespoon.
Great soup for a snowy day here! Cooked as part of the January Whole30 meal plan. I love your recipes!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sharyl! It’s definitely the perfect soup recipe for snowy days. :)
Like the recipe but can not find the ingredients to print without printing all the pages.
There must be a trick
If you scroll down to the recipe card towards the bottom, there is a print button where it will only print out the ingredients + instructions :)
Hi, I love cabbage soup and start with bacon, I never used diced tomatoes before I saw your recipe, but it gives a different tang. something is missing so I am thing miso?
cabbage soup is wonderful but I will put more garlic next time and add salt. I’m not sure where the sodium content gets to 1400 mgs, but that is my daily total!! I use all low salt or no salt canned goods. One question I have is, “how much is one head of cabbage?”
This is a great base for adding a lot of other things you might have lying around your fridge too.
I would think the sodium is from the salt, broth and canned tomatoes. We are on a low sodium diet also and salt has so much sodium even a small amount and so does the broth. Hope this helps.
Gordon look for no salt added tomatoes. I buy them at Kroger.
Also opt for low sodium broth.
If you switch out the herbs (keeping the cayenne) and replace with dill, bay leaves and star anise, this soup becomes a Mennonite favourite, Komst (cabbage) borscht. We also add in sauteed stewing beef.
Tank you so much for your great recipe. I tried it and it turned sooo yummy. What I like about your cooking other than been great ever recipe has its nutritional value. Thanks a millionBe blessed
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup Lamia!
Fast, easy, and nutritious! I increased ingredients by a bit to utilize two cartons of broth. Also added 3/4c uncooked rice, 3T of tomato paste (because I had some in the fridge, plus 1/2 pint of chopped cherry tomatoes (also in the fridge). Loved the nice fresh kick of lemon and garden fresh parsley, too!
This soup is fantastic! Full of flavor. The only change I made, I added lean ground turkey. Thank you Lisa!
I finally made one of your recipes and the Cabbage Soup was delicious! I added ground turkey and also amped up the seasonings. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Happy to hear your first Downshiftology recipe was a success!
I made this soup on the weekend. Was simple to make and delicious. I actually added a dollop of plain Greek Yogurt on top of my serving for a little added protein. – Can you freeze this soup?
Yes, you can freeze this soup!
Make this with a few tweaks and it was fantastic. Thank you for the recipe.
Added cooked barley. Delicious. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sara!
Simple and delicious soup. I added lentils, per one of your suggestions. The parsley and lemon at the end really brighten the flavor.
Happy to hear this turned out perfectly with lentils!
Wow! I made this tonight and my 2 and 4 year old kids actually ate it and liked it. It’s so hard getting them to eat veggies especially something like cabbage. I loved it and it was so easy and inexpensive to make.
You know it’s a winner if the kiddos love it :)
It is the best I tasted. I did some changes for the second batch. I made it in my instapot, I also added extra firm tofu, mushrooms and cauliflower. The soup is even better the next day.
Love all those extra additions! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’m happy to see you’re a Pot Head! I use my Instant Outer constantly and seldom use the thing with burners which has now become a dust collector!! I like your additions; they sound really tasty. I like bulk in my soups, especially “diet” ones!!😂
This was my first try at cabbage soup! The smell lingered in my kitchen a few hours, it was lovely. I loved how easy it was to make and will surely be making it more than once. Looking foward to trying more recipes from you. You have a new follower on Pinterest!
Glad your first ever cabbage soup was a success Johanne! :)
I have made this soup twice and is so so delicious and so healthy. Having rheumatoid arthritis, I look for recipies with clean wholesome ingredients. I have used many websites for cooking and so far yours is the one with the most clean wholesome ingredients. That is why I keep using your site. thank you for sharing.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup, along with many other recipes Ruth!
This soup was awesome! I loved it and can’t wait to make it again. Next time I’m going to double the recipe.
Glad this cabbage soup turned out great JoAnne :)