Cabbage Soup

This homestyle Cabbage Soup Recipe is packed with vegetables and vibrant colors. Serve a steaming hot bowl alongside garlic bread, cornbread or artisan bread for dipping in the flavorful broth.

Ingredients to Make Cabbage Soup Recipe

Cabbage soup has many faces. The differences generally lie in the ingredients and amount of seasonings. This recipe includes cannellini beans which you wouldn’t find in the cabbage soup commonly thought of as weight loss soup or Weight Watchers soup which generally keeps this delicious soup lower in carbs. You could omit white beans if desired, but they add flavor and bulk to this vegetable soup. You can season to taste making the flavor spicy or mild according to your preference. Ingredients to make Southern Cabbage Soup Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Cabbage: Six cups chopped green cabbage.
• Onion: Sweet onion, white onion or yellow onion for a stronger flavor.
• Oil: olive oil or Vegetable oil for sautéing the veggies.
• Celery and Carrots: Adds additional flavor and texture. The carrots add a slight sweetness.
• Bell Peppers: Green bell pepper or poblano pepper for extra spice. Red pepper for balance.
• Fresh Garlic: Four garlic cloves finely minced.
• Fennel Seeds: Adds depth of flavor to the stock.
• Beans: Cannellini beans for bulk and fiber.
• Canned Tomatoes: Italian seasoned tomatoes for extra seasoning.
• Green Beans: Use frozen or fresh cut green beans.
• Liquid: Low sodium chicken stock or chicken broth. Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.
• Tomato Sauce: Adds body to the stock.
• Pantry Seasonings: One large bay leaf, garlic salt or table salt, black pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes and dry Italian seasoning OR oregano.
• Garnish: Three tablespoons Italian parsley.

How to Make the Best Cabbage Soup Recipe

• Cook Vegetables – In a large 6 quart Dutch oven cook onion, celery, carrots, green bell pepper and red bell pepper until softened.
• Aromatics – Add garlic and fennel seeds stir to combine.
• Chopped Cabbage – Add cabbage to the pot, stir to coat with oil. Cook over medium-high heat until cabbage has wilted.
• Add Remaining Ingredients and Spices – Add cannellini beans, tomatoes, green beans, chicken stock, tomato sauce, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
• Simmer the Soup – Bring to a boil then lower the heat. Cook over medium heat per the recipe until cabbage has softened.
• Garnish – Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and a side of garlic bread.

Tips for Making Southern Cabbage Soup

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: One large 6 quart Dutch oven or similar size heavy bottomed large pot, measuring cups and spoons, a sharp knife and chopping board, vegetable peeler or food processor to prepare the vegetables, a ladle and soup bowls for serving.
• Use Green Cabbage: Simple green cabbage works best in this soup. Skip the red cabbage and savoy cabbage this time.
• Vegetarian Cabbage Soup: If you’d like to keep this soup totally vegetarian, it’s quite easy to do so by using vegetable stock in place of chicken stock using the same amount called for in the recipe. You could also use chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• How to Serve Cabbage Soup? You can serve this as a side dish with sandwiches or as an entree with a salad and a side of garlic bread.
• Side Dishes to Serve with Cabbage Soup: Serve this soup with a Cornbread Salad or a Dill Pickle Pasta Salad. Add a side of Cornbread Muffins or Tear and Share Italian Breadsticks.

Recipe Variations

• Protein: You could add lean ground beef, Italian sausage, ground turkey, chicken or smoked sausage to this soup.
• Bacon: You could use bacon fat in place of olive oil for a smoky and rich flavor.
• Potatoes and Rice: You could also add 2-3 cubed potatoes or 1/2 cup uncooked rice.
• Beans: You could use kidney beans, black beans or pinto beans in place of cannellini beans. You could also use chickpeas.
• Fresh Herbs: You can add additional fresh herbs such as thyme or chives.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store Southern Cabbage Soup in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• Reheating: Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop or in single servings in the microwave. You can also pour it into a slow cooker to keep warm for a longer period.
• Freezer Storage: You can also freeze this soup for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Southern Style Soup Recipes to Make

While soup is often thought of as a chilly weather meal, we enjoy soup year-round. More soup recipes in the recipe index you may also like to try:

• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup will warm you up from the inside out.
• Cheddar Cauliflower Soup with Bacon is a riff on potato soup.
• Black Eyed Pea Soup is rich and filling.
• Southern Style Clam Chowder is better than any you’ll buy at a restaurant.
• Zuppa Toscana is a copycat recipe better than Olive Garden.
• Vegetable Tomato Rotini Soup is light and full flavored.
• Italian Wedding Soup from Ask Chef Dennis.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Dutch Oven
• Kitchen Utensils
• Knives and Chopping Board
• Soup Bowls