Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup recipe

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!

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.

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.

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: Prepare all the vegetables (photo 1). 

STEP 2: Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Saute the onions and garlic over medium high heat.

STEP 3: Add the carrots and celery, stir to combine (photo 2).

STEP 4: Add the vegetable broth (photo 3) and cabbage (photo 4).

STEP 5: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft and cabbage is wilted; about 30 minutes.

Can Cabbage Soup be Frozen?

Yes! It’s a perfect soup to freeze. 

How to Freeze Vegetable Soup:

1. Allow the soup to fully cool.
2. 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.
3. Store for 2-3 months in the freezer.
4. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before heating.

What to Serve with Cabbage Soup

• Garlic Toast Rounds are great floated on the soup
• Winter Salad & Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing
• Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Angela Pia (Pious Angel) – a Light, Boozy Vintage Dessert recipe

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love

• Turkey Stock – How to Make It, Use It & Store It
• Skinny Chicken and Sweet Potato Noodle Soup
• Jalapeno Turkey Noodle Soup
• Coconut Curry Turkey Rice Soup
• Homemade Tomato Soup – an Easy Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe
• Peppery Sausage White Bean Kale Soup

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Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup

Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup is full of simple, wholesome ingredients and great flavor. Fast and easy to prepare on the stove top or in an Instant Pot.

5 from 20 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage soup recipe, vegetable soup recipe, vegetarian soup recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Toni Dash

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

Instant Pot Total Time: cooking in the Instant Pot will take slightly longer than cooking on the stove top due to the time to come to pressure. It should be aproximately 45 minutes total time.

TIPS

• 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

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1270mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4433IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

Cabbage soup is easy to make and a nourishing recipe any time.