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 you use chicken broth ?
Yes, you can if you’d like!
Loved this! I will be making this with lots of twists and turns! So easy!
Surprised how flavorful this is with such simple ingredients and seasonings. It’s really great! Excited for leftovers tomorrow!
This soup was very yummy. We put a half of a pound of burger and half teaspoon cayenne pepper. Next time we make it we are going to add rice.
I love this recipe have made many times. Looking for one with more tomato flavor, could I add some tomato soup?
You sure can! :)
First time making this and cabbage soup in general. I made a double recipe. I’m letting it simmer down for about an hour or so then I’m taking it off the heat. I like it a little softer. Anyway, I tasted this while it’s still on the stove, WOW!!! It’s soooo good!! I added more garlic to the recipe too. I haven’t even gotten to the lemon and parsley yet. This is a staple in my house now!!
So glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup recipe Ron!
I really enjoyed this! So healthy! I added leeks because they are one of my favourite veggies!
Love the addition of Leeks!
Absolutely Delicious! 😋 Thanks for sharing 💕
Love this! I added some Cayenne for a little heat! I’ll be making this A-LOT!
I love this healthy soup. My choice was to add a bit of heat with red pepper flakes. It feels so good to know that you are nourishing your body with such fresh healthy ingredients.
Glad you’re loving this cabbage soup Julie!
It was delicious. My daughter even loved it and she is a picky eater (Autism). I will definitely be making this many more times. Thank you for the recipe.
Glad you and your daughter are loving this cabbage soup Melissa!
Loved it! I have 1 question can I use savoy cabbage?
Yes, no problem. Happy you loved it Mary!
I am just putting the finishing touches on a batch for tonight’s dinner. I used low sodium chicken stock, and added a leftover mild Italian sausage sliced in very thin rounds. It is a lovely soup, easy to make and a great base for whatever is in the fridge that needs to be used up.
I add more veggies and it took longer to cook, especially the turnip. Because of the additional veggies, I added 32 oz of broth and it tasted a bit bland, so I added 2 1/2 cups of water with one TBS of Better than Bouillon, Roasted Beef & Garlic seasoning. Just perfect. I also the roasted tomatoes
Thanks for a tasty veggie soup!
This soup is delicious and very easy to prepare!
It’s so good to see a great cabbage soup recipe on your site. I LOVE and make a LOT of cabbage soup. Only I use chicken or beef broth and don’t use as many herbs in mine. Usually only bay leaves. I do use extra veggies, especially cruciferous veggies of all kinds, good cancer fighters. I made a BIG pot today and am waiting for it to cool to put it in gallon bags and stack them in my freezer. I didn’t make it “exactly” like yours, but VERY close, so I KNOW your recipe is fantastic.
This soup is easy to make and absolutely delicious!
I followed the recipe exactly except for one thing. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I substituted fresh dill. I made it for my mother and she absolutely loved it! Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
Glad your mother loved this cabbage soup recipe Nicole!
This is the only cabbage soup I make at home. Its on repeat. Easy and delicious.
Glad you’re loving this cabbage soup Rebecca!
I love this soup, and my husband and son enjoyed the flavor. But my son had a problem with. It. One bowl sent him running to the bathroom 4 times!
How can I tone that down?
Oh no! He might be sensitive to cabbage?
I just made this using home-made chicken stock. I didn’t have any dried basil so I used a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. The soup is so good, especially with some extra squeezes of lemon into the bowl. Perfect on this dark and rainy evening. I will definitely make it again and look forward to adding my own flourishes to the canvas.
I’m sure this tasted amazing with homemade chicken stock!
I don’t like tomatoes, can I just use beef broth?
Yes, you can. But I’d substitute the tomatoes with other vegetables as well.
Surprisingly delicious!!
. How many cups in half a cabbage? I have a ten pound cabbage to use use
That’s fine, you can just use half of that cabbage!
This is a fav. Added bell peppers, zucchini,, potato’s & more veg. broth.
This is my go to cabbage soup now!
This truly is the best blank canvas for many more ingredients!
I was looking for a cabbage soup recipe and ran across your site. I have this cooking as we speak. It already tastes delicious but I’ll let it cook to soften the cabbage. You have a cookbook? I’m going to look for it check out more of your recipes!
I’m happy you love this cabbage soup recipe, Karen. And yes, I have a cookbook! You can find it on a tab at the top of the page. Hope you enjoy it!
Is it ok to freeze the leftovers
Yes!
I was about to make this soup and was reading through the recipe again when I looked at the nutrition chart. I was recently diagnosed with heart failure, so I am on a very low sodium diet. I was surprised at the sodium level listed (1409). I’m assuming it is for one serving (1/4 of the recipe) from the other entries in the chart. I went to the pantry to double check my ingredients. Admittedly I have low sodium options (such as unsalted vegetable broth [Kitchen Basics] and no salt added canned tomatoes). These are the figures I came up with: 4 cups of the vegetable broth = 640 mg; 1/2 t. salt = 1200 mg; 14 oz. can of HEB no salt added peeled whole tomatoes (I’m out of diced) = 52.5 mg. That means that the entire recipe would have 1892.5. or 473.125 per serving. What have I missed?? Thanks.
Hi Susan – yes, the nutrition info is calculated automatically with a plug-in and it often pulls in regular cans instead of low-sodium options. But you can certainly use low-sodium in your recipe at home! :)
Delicious soup!! I just started following downshiftology and there are so many amazing recipes! I also pre-ordered the cookbook…yay!! Thank you for these healthy and delicious recipes 😊
If I haven’t said so yet, welcome to the Downshiftology community Cara! Glad you enjoyed this soup and can’t wait for you to cook all the new recipes in the cookbook :)
Very delicious. Can this soup be pressure canned so it is shelf stable?
I haven’t tried canning this. But you can store this in the freezer for up to 3 months (which is what I recommend)!
This soup is wonderful! I chose to leave out the celery and add turkey for some more protein. Will definitely be making this again.
This soup is always a great base to add more ingredients :)
Hi Lisa! I made this soup for upcoming week. I doubled the recipe and as I get older, the acidity in the tomatoes bothers my stomach. I added one can of lite coconut milk an some red Thai paste; Wow!
Delicious! I’m thinking of trying with konjac noodles. Thanks for your great recipes and wealth of knowledge!
Oh wow, that sounds amazing, Martha! I’ll have to give that variation a try next time. :)
Quick, easy, and delicious!
Delicious soup! I’ve made this soup for years; sometimes mildly spicy, with chili powder and cumin and sometimes with a generous amount of Tuscan spice. I wanted a big batch, so today I used an entire head of cabbage, a qt. of homemade bone broth and a large can of crushed tomatoes. I added a pound of cooked ground chicken, 2 green peppers, an extra onion, Tuscan seasoning and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Instead of the lemon juice, I finished it with a generous amount of garlic red wine vinegar. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for reminding me how good this is!
Always a good reminder to whip up a big pot of cabbage soup – especially for the cold days ahead!
Excellent. I love the suggestions of additional ingredients. Excellent as as or as a base for variations.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Tom!
Yet another very good and new soup recipe from Lisa! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I doubled the recipe and froze some portions which we love to have available. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious.
This was a quick and easy recipe and very good on the tastebuds… you have plenty of suggestions on altering the soup by just a little bit of work and I appreciated that.
I also make your lentil soup and enjoy that immensely. Your recipes are just perfect for one person and handy to have in the refrigerator or freezer.
Thanks
How much cabbage do you use?
I’m using 1/2 a cabbage for this recipe – which is listed in the ingredients down in the recipe card :)
Thank you for sharing your recipe with me.I love preparing easy and simple recipes that I find on the internet. Very tasty. I also imitated yourlayout of your living room. With a few changes as certain items were not available here in Canada. It brightened my place considerably. I am an 89 year old widower, wife passed away in 2015, so I am always on the lookout for simple recipes, etc. Thank you again for your help. Ed Brewer
Can this soup be frozen? I love the idea of make ahead soups.
Yes! Pretty much all of my soup recipes can be frozen :)
I made this soup today and it tastes so good!! I just added some shredded chicken breast for some protein. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Best ever. I’ve been making this for a year now. I first made it when I started my new eating plan, but didn’t exclusively eat this on the cabbage soup diet. I ate the soup as a snack or at lunch. Made it every week for about five months straight. Then stopped for the summer. I made a pot today and fell in love all over again.
I love cabbage,today I made the soup oh it was super good delicious my family enjoyed. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad the whole family enjoyed this cabbage soup Julia!
I love cabbage soup. I especially love it with a lot of different veggies that are not eaten regularly. We are a large family, so I make over 2 gallons of soup at a time. I add zucchini, yellow squash, okra, and spinach to my soup. I also sometimes add some cooked stew meat, or cut up chuck to it, or/and even some barley. My last batch I didn’t have barley, so I froze 8 cups of the soup. When I thaw and reheat it, then I will add the barley. Good stuff.
Cabbage comes in a wide range of sizes. Perhaps pounds or cups would help to guide us to a successful finish. Mine did not turn out well.
Huge hit and so easy and fast! Thank you! I should have doubled the recipe! Next time…
I just made this soup, looks so delicious, my neighbours gave me red cabbage , carrots and parsley from their amazing garden, I have a free pass to get whatever I like ☺️I decided to put some thinly sliced pork fillet and a half a cup of lentils , my husband came in and said it smells amazing and it tastes even better, Big thanks
Oh, I forgot to tell you, it was even BETTER the next 2days. The broth was divine!!!
This IS the BEST cabbage soup that I’ve ever had. I am not a cabbage fan but I am now. I made this about 2weeks ago and shared w/my elderly neighbor. She returned the next day for more. I was absolutely thrilled! Do you have a cookbook. I’d like to purchase one or several for gifts. This DELICIOUS!!!!! Thanks again. Your new fan
Yay! Happy to hear both you and your neighbor are loving this cabbage soup Brenda!
Love this soup!! Only changes I made were using beef broth instead of vegetable and adding chickpeas and beans. Absolutely delicious and easy to meal prep! I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe 😊
I’m literally obsessed with this soup – I’ve made it two weeks in a row and love it! It’s great for a healthy and low calorie diet, which is what I’m trying to stick to right now. Thanks for sharing!!
This looks great. Do you think using beef broth would taste OK?
It will alter the taste a bit, but should be fine!
Thanks, I ended up doing it with beef stock because that’s what I had and this was so good! I also added 500g of minced beef and used leeks instead of celery. You’re right this is the perfect soup base.
Yay! Glad it turned out great Ellie :)