Cabbage Soup is full of wholesome vegetables, delicious flavor and few calories! It’s perfect to warm up the coldest of days or a post-holiday food reset!
Most of use have a fond childhood memory of steaming hot vegetable soup on a cold day.
Chances are it was from a can.
This Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup is easy to make, and is chock full of wholesome vegetables.
It’s a key recipe to have handy to make on repeat. Make it on the stove top or in an Instant Pot!
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I’ll confess. One reason I love this cabbage soup recipe is it is a great ‘food reset’ recipe.
If I’ve had an over the top holiday or just want a more nutrition-rich meal, I reach for this vegetable soup recipe.
Why I Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe
It is…
- Hot and filling
- Easy and fast to make
- Full of vegetables and is vegetarian, vegan and naturally gluten-free
- Has great natural flavors
- Low in calories (so you can fill up without bulking up)
- Can be easily changed up
- Can be made on the stove top or in the Instant Pot
I have found personally after a big holiday it’s a great way to ‘retrain’ my taste buds to get on track with more healthy food choices.
Vegetable Cabbage Soup Ingredients
I love recipes with simple, clean ingredients.
- Olive Oil
- Sweet Onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable Broth
- Green Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Seasoned stewed tomatoes (canned)
- Kosher Salt
- ground Black Pepper
Canned Tomatoes
Seasoned stewed tomatoes can be added to the soup as is or chopped.
Also diced canned tomatoes with seasoning can be substituted too.
The key is that they have other flavors added, like basil, garlic, oregano, etc. to give flavor to the soup.
How to Make Cabbage Soup – Step-by-Step (stove top method)
For Instant Pot preparation instructions please refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post.
STEP 1. Preparation
Prepare all the vegetables (photo 1).
STEP 2. Saute
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Saute the onions and garlic over medium high heat.
Add the carrots and celery, stir to combine (photo 2).
Add the vegetable broth (photo 3) and cabbage (photo 4).
STEP 3. Cook
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft and cabbage is wilted; about 30 minutes.
Recipe Variations/Ideas
Want to add some protein? consider adding a cup of shredded chicken, or 1/2 pound of cooked ground turkey, or ground beef.
For a spicier version, add a seeded, diced jalapeno to the vegetables. Or spicy ground chorizo (cooked in the same pan after the onion and garlic and drained).
Have vegetables you need to use up? Add them! Even frozen vegetables can be added.
Change up the flavor by using chicken broth or nourishing bone broth instead of vegetable broth.
Have a favorite spice you love (cumin for me)? Add some to the cabbage soup. Pick spices that work well with the seasoning of the canned tomatoes for best results.
It’s a very flexible recipe:
- Like a chunkier soup? Add more vegetables.
- Prefer more broth? Cut back on the vegetables or just add more vegetable broth.
Can Cabbage Soup be Frozen?
Yes! It’s a perfect soup to freeze.
How to Freeze Vegetable Soup:
- Allow the soup to fully cool.
- Pour soup into freezer containers. Leave about 1-inch ‘head space’ (room between the surface of the soup and the rim of the container) for expansion when frozen.
- Store for 2-3 months in the freezer.
- Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before heating.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe
Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 small Sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 8 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground Black pepper
- ½ small head Cabbage chopped
- 3 Carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 stalks Celery sliced
- 1 14.5-ounce can Seasoned stewed tomatoes whole or diced
Instructions
Stove Top Preparation Method
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onions until they are tender and transparent.
- Add garlic and saute one additional minute.
- Add in the broth, salt, pepper, cabbage, carrots, celery and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender and cabbage has wilted. Serve!
Instant Pot Preparation Method
- Turn 6-quart Instant Pot to Saute setting. Add the olive oil.
- Saute the onions until translucent.
- Add garlic; saute an additional minute. Turn off the Saute function.
- Add the remaining ingredients (vegetable broth, salt, pepper, cabbage, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Seal, turn vent to sealed position. Turn Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 15 minutes. NOTE: it will take the Instant Pot 10-15 minutes to come to pressure.
- When cooking is complete, carefully MANUALLY RELEASE pressure. Serve!
Video
Notes
- The consistency of this soup may be adjusted by adding more cabbage or veggies if you want it chunkier OR adding more broth.
- Sauteing onions and garlic in the stock pot or Dutch oven, then adding remaining ingredients really builds the soup’s flavor.
- The soup is delicious the next day; double the batch if desired.
- Chopped Parsley good garnish choice to add color and not detract with the soup’s flavor.
Nutrition
Cabbage soup is easy to make and a nourishing recipe any time.
M. Todd says
This is an absolutely delicious staple vegetable soup that I feel good about serving to my family. Thank you for the lovely recipe!
Sue A Evans says
QUESTION: Can I use red cabbage? Thanks
Toni Dash says
You can!
Signe says
4/20/21
Just made this for the first time tonight! I added 2 medium potatoes chopped and 1/4 of a green pepper. So incredibly good and my husband loved it too! I put some cooked rice in his soup bowl and served the soup over top. He told me not to lose the recipe! Definitely will enjoy the leftovers and will be making it again! Thank you so much!!
Toni Dash says
Sounds delicious! Love how you changed it up and am delighted you enjoyed it so much.
Barb Parent says
About 50 years ago it was used for weight loss I don’t remember if I lost or not, but loved the soup and have been making it since. Also added left over veggies in the fridge if there were any. Never enough left to freeze !
Toni Dash says
I love knowing that Barb. It’s a very flexible soup. Easy to add all sorts of things too, I agree!
Barbara Parent says
I have made this many times making some changes using what I had in the fridge. Always delicious, fast quick and easy ! About 50 years ago this was recommend for weight loss. I don’t remember if I lost any weight , but the soup was gray and I’ve been making it since.
K. Do-Vu says
It is simple and sounds very healthy and tasty. I will try to make it.
Terry says
Happy New Year – & thanks so much for this great recipe! I had a similar one years ago but somehow managed to misplace it.
Now – if I only would have bought cabbage on my once monthly shopping trip a couple of days ago…
Toni Dash says
Happy New Year! Darn! Well it will be waiting for you next time you shop.
Tempting Recipe says
Loved this recipe of cabbage soup. Thanks for such amazing recipe.