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!
I agree with a prior reviewer that this is a good base recipe but needs tweaking to add more flavor. This recipe was 3-4 stars as is and 5 stars with some additions. I added crushed red pepper flakes, additional Italian seasoning, coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative ), garlic powder and onion powder. I also added a full small can of tomato paste and of course the lemon juice. For a protein boost I added diced cooked Italian sausage. Delicious!
This soup was delicious! I adjusted it for 8 servings and added 1 pound of ground pork sausage and a small package of mushrooms. Also, I used chicken broth since it is what I had on hand. Next time, I’ll add a pinch of cayenne. I can definitely see this soup becoming a family favorite!
Hi Beth – Wonderful! Happy to hear this cabbage soup has become a family favorite now.
So good! In order to use up some leftovers I added turkey sausage, 1 cup of red wine, and a mashed sweet potato. I’m definitely adding this to my soup rotation
Sounds like some great additions, Eileen!
I added ground turkey and some red bell pepper, my house smells wonderful…can’t wait for dinner!
Wonderful! Hope you enjoyed this one :)
Thank you for the suggestion about the Souper Cubes – I have made your lentil soup and the cubes are a game changer! Thanks not only for recipes, but for letting us know about products that can make life easier!
Hi Vickie – Of course! I’m glad you enjoyed the lentil soup as well.
I love soup. Somehow I stumbled on to your recipe for cabbage soup. It looked amazing so I asked my wife to make it for me (I am not a cook). She did and it was delicious. It is definitely on my menu schedule now. Thank you for your simple instructions and your delivery pof flavor. I have a YouTube Channel (102,000+ subscribers ) and would love to do a zoom interview with you.
Hi Jackie – Great to hear you and your wife love this cabbage soup!
Love this soup
Hi there – I’m glad you love this soup!
Super Soup!! I love this so much & meat is not needed at all! I used V-8 Juice and added Tobasco sauce for a kick! Seriously could eat this every day!!
Hi Bonnie – I’m glad this cabbage soup is a hit!
Had the soup yesterday made quite a large pot, everyone enjoyed, I had 2 bowls, more in the fridge for today lunch. Love love thanks
Hi Patricia – Happy to hear everyone loved this cabbage soup!
I had technical issues related to making the recipe as i tried to print it out from my iPhone and computer. Neither worked and I Got pretty frustrated. I will say the soup was really good, but I wish I could get it to print.
Hi Ginger – Thanks for your feedback! Did you happen to use the print button in the recipe card?
My husband and I loved the soup!!! I used McCormck’s Lemon & Pepper seasoning instead of lemon juice.
Hi Dorothy – I’m glad you both enjoyed this cabbage soup!
This is recipe is sooo good. The textures of the vegetables was a hit and the fresh lemon juice just before serving is A++!
Hi laura – Great to hear you loved this cabbage soup!
I just made your cabbage soup. Thank you taste delicious having tomorrow for dinner.
Hi Patricia – I’m glad you love this cabbage soup!
This was easy and delicious. I added a can of corn and a can of black beans. Definitely a keeper.
Hi Marian – So glad you loved this cabbage soup!
Hi I wanted to enjoy this soup, but when i made it was lacking flavor. I followed the recipe as instructed. I usually do that the first time and then depending on the out come I tweek it accordingly. I used vegetable broth as suggested, but I think next time I will use chicken and maybe a little shredded chicken as well.
If I were to add lentils to this cabbage soup do I cook them separately or would they work in to the recipe somehow?
My favorite!!! I added ground pork to mine and used chicken broth but otherwise the same!
Hi Anne – I’m glad you love this cabbage soup!
I made this and I was shocked as my husband loved it! He is a meat eater, so I was not sure he would go for it. Loved I had some leftovers so I could freeze for a night when I don’t feel like cooking. I made add some ground beef to the next batch, for him. Very good.
Hi Deborah – Happy to hear both you and your husband love this cabbage soup! You can always add meat to it as well to make it heartier.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband loves soup and this recipe is very tasty!
Happy you both love it!
Thank you for this recipe! My husband loves soup and this recipe is very tasty!
Happy to hear you both loved it!
This is truly a great and easy soup! Don’t skip the lemon at the end. As for the broth I mixed equal parts Beef broth and Italian herb broth by Better Than Bouillon! Keeper!
Thanks so much, Leslie!
Delicious!! I feel like I need a detox after all the holiday eating :(
This was full of flavor along with all the good for you vege’s…I even added some kale and spinach since I had some in the fridge. Thank you for all of your delicious recipes!!
I’m right there with you, Jenny! Hope this cabbage soup gave you the dose of veggies you needed. :)
SO delicious and full of flavor. I added chickpeas, and four small diced red potatoes–it was amazing! Will definitely make this again, and have already forwarded the recipe to my mom.
Love the addition of the chickpeas. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite soups! It’s so delicious and easy to make. I started adding kielbasa after reading someone’s suggestion in the comments here 😊 the lemon juice at the end gives it a delicious flavor.
Could you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Yes, no problem.
I was wondering if you would know how many calories are in a cup.
TIA / Suzanne in BC , Canada
Easy and delicious. Just out of rehab so no energy for serious cooking. This hit the spot. I added some green pepper, wood ear mushrooms ( my favorite),and cilantro. Now I have enough so I don’t have to cook again for a few days.
Hi Harriet – Happy to hear you love this cabbage soup!
The best cabbage/vegetable soup I’ve ever had! I am so excited to have found this recipe – the video was so helpful. I’ve made it twice in the last month and this last time made enough to freeze. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks so much.
Hi Susan – Oh wonderful! I’m glad you love this cabbage soup.
This is an easy recipe and actually was surprised my family enjoyed it. We have health restrictions with my husband. So this soup perfect!
Nothing beats the ease of this cabbage soup!
Hi Lisa. Made your delicious recipe this afternoon. Had everything on hand, only added a couple of bay (Laurel) leaves. Thank you, this is a keeper.
Anne
Tasmania, Australia 🌿👏
Wonderful, I’m happy you loved it, Anne!
I have now made this recipe twice. It is super delicious and not very hard to make. Makes for great left overs. This was the first recipe that I made on Lisa’s website. I have made the Garlic Crusted Prime Rib since. I’m a believer and will be making more and more of her recipes.
That’s great to hear your first recipe here was a success, Mitch!
Thank you for another delicious and budget friendly meal. My husband was skeptical when he heard Cabbage Soup was for dinner, but his first bite totally changed his mind! I didn’t have diced tomatoes or parsley on hand, so subbed roasted red peppers and basil. Both worked beautifully. We also added some ground pork seasoned with Italian seasoning. This will be in our regular fall/winter dinner rotation!
I’m happy he was pleasantly surprised, haha! Sounds great with those substitutions as well. Enjoy!
This is such a tasty soup! I have never made cabbage soup before and was delighted how easy and delicious this recipe is… The lemon juice made all the difference for me! Thank you sharing!
Yes, the lemon juice really does add a bright punch of flavor. Happy you loved it, Jane!
I have to confess… this soup is on repeat at my house. I have stopped counting how many times I’ve made it.
It’s just perfect. And it was the first recipe I’ve made from Downshiftology. After that I got hooked.
Oh yay, it’s always fun to hear which are the first recipes people stumble on. And you picked a good one with this cabbage soup! Happy you love it!
just made this, added a can of coconut milk at the very end and 2 chicken sausages chopped up in the very beginning also a bit more celery and carrot than called for. its so good and super filling, i had a small sample bowl and i’m stuffed.
Hi there! I’m so glad you loved this cabbage soup. Sounds delicious with all that extra goodness!
My husband said it was as good to be served in a fine restaurant .😊Absolutely delicious and easy to make
Oh yay! I’m glad this cabbage soup was delicious as can be!
I just made this soup and it’s amazing. I only added one more ingredient and that was cilantro.
I’m glad you loved it! Cilantro is a great addition as well, it’s one of my favorite herbs.
I used half a small bag of frozen mirepox carrots, celery and onion. Added a little more celery, better than bullion, and 1 packet of dry onion soup mix since I’m lazy on seasonings – omitted the salt. Tastes so good!! And I used the whole cabbage so had to add more water.
It’s definitely a flexible recipe, so I’m glad you were able to tweak it to your liking. Enjoy!
Made this soup and absolutely loved it.I have been making this soup for a long time but had never sautéed the veggies. Just boiled them.,What a game changer!! I added brussel sprouts and green beans. Thank you for reinventing an old favourite!
You’re more than welcome, Joanne! And yes, sauteing the veggies really adds more flavor. Glad you loved it!
This soup is wonderful as it is, but since I can’t leave a recipe alone, I added chicken, edamame pasta, bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, and a splash of Franks Red Hot. To die for!
This cabbage soup has plenty of room for additional ingredients!
I really enjoyed this soup. I’m looking forward to lunches this week now.
I’m happy you loved this cabbage soup, Anna! It’s perfect for a quick-and-easy lunch reheat. :)
After a long Fall morning of raking leaves, I was looking for something quick and easy to make then came across your cabbage soup recipe. It was delicious and full of flavor. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup, Mary!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. It was so flavorful for such few ingredients and I loved how quick and easy it was to prepare. Thank you
I’m thrilled to hear you love this cabbage soup, Vicky!
Made this tonight , so quick easy and delicious! Thank you for another wonderful recipe :)
You’re more than welcome, Megan! Happy you loved it!
I add chicken and it’s twice as delicious as it was without. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this cabbage soup with chicken!
I made the cabbage soup today. It was delicious, easy and quick.
Happy you loved it, Jo!
Love it!
Thanks Marie!
I made the cabbage soup. It was quick, easy and delicious
That’s great to hear you love this cabbage soup, Sandra!
Very easy to make: perfect for my son that is having surgery. He can either sip on the broth or have some of the veggies, all is perfect for post surgery.
This cabbage soup is great for overall wellness! I hope your son enjoys this cabbage soup and has a speedy recovery, Tammy.
Can you add sweet potato instead of regular?
Yep, that’s fine!
Looking forward to making this. What serving size is the nutritional info coming from?
There are 4 servings in the recipe, so it’s the entire recipe divided by 4. But next time I make it I’ll try to measure out a single portion (I estimate it’s probably 2 cups). :)
Lisa, I can’t figure out where that much sodium comes from. You only add 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe, which is 1200 MG for the whole pot. Do you know how much sodium is in the broth? I’m sure you can tell I’m newly to a reduced sodium diet (2000 MG a day – not quite a teaspoon). I’ll use reduced sodium broth and watch my portion sizes.
I love your channel! I appreciate your attention to detail and clear explanations. I use All Clad pots and pans too. 9 years and they still look and function like they were new.
Hi Susan – Thanks for catching that! We have adjusted the recipe card, so the nutritional information should be correct now.
I LOVE this soup. I first tried it last year and fell in Love!! I chock it full of all kinds of veggies including chili beans (pintos) and green beans… also a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper. The flavor is out of this world. I also add chipotle and or black pepper for a kick. I’m looking forward to having it next week to kickoff my soup season. Can hardly wait. I also have a friend who lives at a care facility and doesn’t like their food. She loves my soups, so I share every week. Thank you for this yummy recipe, Lisa. It’s a real WINNER!! :P
Thrilled to hear you’ve been loving this cabbage soup!
This soup was really easy to make and tasted delicious with some turkey meat as we had some leftover, lots of extra garlic and all fresh oregano, basil and parsley from the garden. Never used lemon before in a soup but this was a very tasty addition. I also omitted the tomatos.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this cabbage soup! Sounds great with turkey meat as well.
Why is there so much sodium in this soup. What causes this.
I believe the nutrition info is pulling in regular broth, versus low-sodium broth.
Canned tomatoes can add sneaky salt, you should be able to get low sodium tomatoes.
I love the soup. It’s only me, so I will be freezing most of it. Have you ever tried pureeing it to make a cream cabbage soup?
I haven’t tried that yet, but it sounds delicious. If you do, let us know how it turns out!