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!
This was absolutely delicious! I made exactly as stated, no changes needed! The spices were on point, but if you you prefer LOTS of flavor, just double the spices. Thanks so much for a delicious recipe!
Thanks so much, Brittany! I’m happy you loved it. :)
I’ve made this soup twice within the last week. Took some to work and shared with some co-workers and it was a big hit. They loved the fact that it was practically no-carb and so healthy AND delicious. It’ll be one of my favorite comfort foods this Fall and Winter to make!😋
Happy to hear both you and your coworkers enjoyed this cabbage soup, April!
Hi! This cabbage soup is amazing as is and I love making this recipe – but I am now supposed to avoid nightshades. Any ideas on a substitute for the tomatoes? If I leave them out will it make a big difference? Thank you for any ideas!
Excellent!
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup, Martha!
Delicious. Here’s the few changes I made:
1/2 tsp chopped roasted jalapeños,
4 cups homemade veggie stock,
2 apple/sage veggie sausages sliced,
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes chopped,
fresh basil,
can of garbanzo beans,
1/4 c nutritional yeast,
2 tsp of veggie Better than Boullion.
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup with your minor tweaks!
I have a jar of lacto-fermented red cabbage in my fridge that I need to use up and came across this recipe. Do you think it would work to use that in this recipe?
Fermented cabbage is pretty tangy. So, if you’re okay with that flavor addition, then, by all means, go for it!
I made a big stock pot of this Cabbage soup. I added cut up chicken and Prosciutto. Let it simmer awhile. Smelled marvelous! It made so much, I shared with my neighbors (I live alone). It took a little time, but DEFINITELY WORTH IT ! Will save this recipe for future use. ❤️.
Love the idea of adding chicken and prosciutto to this cabbage soup!
Hi, I’ll be cooking this today, what are your thoughts on adding zuchinni or summer squash? I worry it will get mushy, or not add a flavor that goes well with the rest?
Zucchini or any summer squash is totally fine to add to this soup!
I love fall for many reasons but especially because it seems like it’s all things cabbage season and this recipe did not disappoint. Plus you can customize it! Thanks so much
Cabbage definitely takes center-stage in the fall and it shines bright in this soup recipe. So happy you loved it, Tara!
OMG. Lisa thank you so much.
My entire family loved it even my dad who’s a meat and potatoes guy.
Will definitely keep it in rotation.
Wonderful! Love to hear that. :)
Is this soup freezable?
Yes, you can freeze this soup!
Fast & easy. Scrumptious. Definitely will make again. Thank you so much 🫶🏼
Thanks for leaving a review and glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup!
Does this really have 1400 mg sodium per serving?
Hi Kathy – it’s likely pulling in a regular broth versus low sodium broth into the calculation.
I’m eating a bowl of fresh made cabbage soup as I write this review. I added some mini sweet peppers, I didn’t have a lemon, so I used bottled lime juice. OMG! This soup is amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe, it will be my go to now.
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup, Pam!
This recipe was so good! Huge hit in my home. Had to cook longer than instructed because of my preference.
Glad this was a hit, Catherine!
Hello I am going to try this soup, but I was wondering when should I add the ground turkey
I would add the turkey after you cook the veggies.
Yummy 🥰
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup, Milly :)
This Downshiftology cabbage soup has become a very regular soup in my rotation. I freeze half in 1 cup souper cube portions, and that way I always have something healthy, tasty and comforting on hand in a pinch. I’ve been adding tomato paste and some fennel seed, in addition to doubling up on the oregano, basil and garlic. It’s beyond delicious and so, so, good for you! Thank you for this quick, easy, and way above par, recipe!
Happy to hear you love this cabbage soup Alyne!
Was excellent , first time
Will make again
Thank u
Amazing dinners thank you
Thanks so much, Wanda!
1/2 cabbage = approximately how many cups or ounces?
I used 1/2 head of Cabbage too. Just added other stuff that I had, included some cut up potatoes. I used a medium size stock pot. Worked great. Be fairly generous with herbs.
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup recipe, Ginger!
This was so tasty! I used thyme and added cannellini beans and cooked ground beef.
That sounds like a great addition to the soup, Susan. Happy you loved it!
I too have made this twice in three weeks time. Good and hearty. I did add a small can of V8 for a more tomato-y taste, a drained and rinsed can of black beans for more protein and 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes for heat. This is a definite keeper.
There’s always room for additions to this soup! Thanks for leaving a review, Karen :)
Made this for my husband and me.
I added a pound of ground Turkey, cooked lentils, no tomatoes and 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth. It was hearty and delicious! Lots left over for more meals!
Glad you and your husband enjoyed this cabbage soup, Therese!
Dear Lisa
Your approach of writing a recipe for any Ms. or Mr. to cook an unforgettable recipe of cabbage-soup must also describe your deep respect shows your genuine appreciation in the art of cooking.
Sticking to “basic nutrients” does not mean that cooking is simple on the contrary the cook has to understand how to give to soup the right “combo” allowing each ingredient have their own role in the final product.
The way you created recipe allows us to understand why and how the soup should be prepared.
I dear to say that your method of presentation was one of the kind .
Hoping that your open ja inspiring role in mentoring us to the world of cooking is available for us in the coming years .
Sincerely yours
ps.
erkki
Thanks for leaving a review and for your kind words, Errki!
Accidentally used one half veggie broth and one half chicken broth, but still turned out absolutely amazing. I could also recommend sun roasted canned tomatoes instead of regular. Even my friend whom normally doesn’t like this kinda stuff wanted to try it, and ended up loving it.👌
Loved this soup! My teenagers loved it! I made it just as the recipe, except from I used sweetheart cabbage as that’s what I had. It’s quick to make and doesn’t have any fancy or expensive ingredients like some recipes. Thanks.
I added chopped bacon and a thinly sliced Beer Brat and followed your recipe for a wonderful dinner soup.
Celery, onion, and carrots sauted is what Italian call a Soffritto and is a common base for many soups and stews.
love this recipe. super simple & quick! i’ve been looking for broth based soups & stumbled upon yours and am in love! i used baby carrots & sliced them in half and chopped (i always have baby carrots on hand).
I love this soup and make it frequently. The only change I make is a bit more stock than listed here. So healthy, easy and delicious!
This was fantastic! I spiced it up by adding some diced jalapeños and ginger.
This is one of my favorite recipes and I have prepared it a number of times. It is easy to make, great for meal prep and for me it was foolproof. What do you think about adding a can of beans? I don’t know if that is a good idea, but it would add some protein if it went well with the recipe. Thank you.
You can definitely add a can of beans to this soup!
I use navy beans and my family loves this soup!
Make this very often! Always add in some diced ham for extra protein. Soo good and so versatile
Glad you’re loving this cabbage soup Beth!
This was really good and easy to make!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup Debbie!
Loved this recipe. I did two carrots instead of one. I also substituted the oregano for thyme.
I have always find hard to use all the cabbage head when I buy one, but finding this recipe was game-changer.
I’m now able to use cabbage in a different and delicious way that makes, specially winterdays, warm
Thanks you!
I’m so glad this recipe worked out perfectly!
Hi, I made this recipe as per video, and it taste, yum yum yummy.
I just followed this recipe exactly as posted and it came out so amazing! Usually I need to add something to give more flavor but I didn’t have to with this one. Thank you for such a nice healthy recipe that I can make frequently.
You’re more than welcome, Amber! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I made this but instead of chopped tomatoes I used salsa and instead of parsley I used cilantro. When I dished it up I added chopped avocados. Delicious!
Half of a cabbage? I have an eight pound and a two pound cabbage. How many cups?
This recipe is phenomenal! I had all the ingredients on hand (even a zucchini) and it’s such a healthy dish. I’ll make this again.
Love this recipe! So yummy! I added ground cooked lamb first time was so delish. Now just trying with no meat, white beans. One container with Diced tomatoe and the other with tomatoe sauce as my husband doesn’t like stew type tomatoes. No matter what I will eat it all if he doesn’t. Lol
I have made this twice and am very pleased with the results. First it is super easy, quick and flavorful. The second batch I did not add the salt, lemon juice or parsley but did add a 1/4 cup of diced butternut squash that I had on hand. As a ‘senior’ living alone, it sometimes isn’t always easy to get motivated to cook the way I used to and I don’t generally enjoy eating the same meal several days in a row. This is not boring and can be modified as you suggested by adding protein.
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup Barbara!
This soup was even better the next day and we enjoyed with some crusty gluten-free sourdough bread on a chilly winter evening. Very easy and simply delicious!
The perfect winter soup! Glad you enjoyed this Amy :)
Very good!! I added asparagus green peppers and of course more garlic. The next thing for it, so my family will eat more veggies is to blend it up after a few days into a tomato sauce for my Lasagna, adding even more veggies then too!
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup!
Wonderful cabbage soup, healthy and filling!
Happy to hear you’re loving this cabbage soup Lilia!
So easy to make, but very flavorful. I made this quite a few and freeze it. So convenient to have when I need something between meetings.
Making it now….wondering about adding the lemon juice though. Does it add lemon flavor or just intensify the flavors of the other veggies? Thanks!
It adds a hint of lemon :)
Hi Lisa,
This recipe looks amazing. I only have Nappa Cabbage. Think it’ll work in your recipe, and if so, how much should I use?
I’d say use about 1/2 of your nappa cabbage, or a little less depending on how much cabbage you’d like in your soup!
This soup is delicious! Made it exactly as written, might have put an extra carrot or two! I used Better than Bouillon Vegetable. I can’t stop eating it! Thank you for sharing…
Happy you loved it Robin!
Delicious! Loved by all.
A little longer prep for me. Looking forward to upping my speed!
Glad everyone enjoyed this cabbage soup Rosalie!
Thus recipe is on serious repeat for me I us the better than veg bullion and put red kidney beans in it!!!! Love love ❤!!
I tried this recipe and shared it with friends to rave reviews!! I will definitely be making it again.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe love! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I topped it with a little grated Romano cheese and it’s delicious!!
Love this soup! I added zucchini, broccoli, and a little red pepper. Super yummy! Left the veggies a little crunchy.
Love those additions Cyndi!