Introduction
Hey there, friend! You know those days when you just need something warm, comforting, and truly good for you? Maybe it’s a chilly evening, a rainy afternoon, or perhaps you’re just craving a big bowl of goodness that makes you feel nourished from the inside out. That’s exactly when this Cabbage Soup recipe comes to the rescue! Forget everything you thought you knew about cabbage soup – this isn’t the bland, watery stuff of old. This version is packed with flavor, incredibly easy to make, and honestly, just makes you feel good. It’s the kind of soup that fills your home with a lovely aroma and fills your belly with happy, healthy vibes. Trust me, this one is about to become a staple in your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Seriously, what’s not to love? This soup checks all the boxes!
- Fast: You can have a pot simmering on your stove in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
- Easy: If you can chop veggies and stir a pot, you can make this soup. No fancy techniques required!
- Giftable (or shareable!): It makes a generous batch, perfect for sharing with neighbors or freezing for future meals.
- Crowd-Pleasing: It’s surprisingly hearty and flavorful, even for those who think they don’t love cabbage. Plus, it’s naturally vegan and packed with healthy stuff!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to gather. Simple, humble ingredients that come together to create something truly wonderful:
- 1 tbsp Olive oil: Our starting point for building flavor. A good swirl in the pot is all you need.
- 1 medium Onion, chopped: The aromatic foundation! Sweetens up as it cooks.
- 2 Carrots, chopped: Adds sweetness, color, and that classic soup texture.
- 2 Celery stalks, chopped: Another essential for our aromatic base, adding a lovely subtle savory note.
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced: Because everything is better with garlic, right?
- 1 medium Head cabbage, chopped: The star! It softens beautifully and becomes surprisingly tender and sweet in the soup.
- 4 cups Vegetable broth: The liquid gold! Use a good quality one for best flavor.
- 1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, with juice: Adds acidity and depth to the broth, balancing the flavors.
- 1 tsp Turmeric, ground: For a beautiful golden color and lovely earthy warmth (plus, it’s good for you!).
- 1/2 tsp Paprika: Adds a sweet, peppery note.
- 1 tsp Cumin, ground: Brings a warm, slightly smoky aroma that makes the soup extra cozy.
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground: A little kick to liven things up.
- Salt (to taste): Crucial for bringing all the flavors together. Start with a little and add more as needed at the end.
- 1 tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped: A sprinkle of freshness at the end makes a big difference!
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice: Brightens everything up and adds a lovely finishing touch. Don’t skip this!
How to Make It
Let’s get cooking! It’s truly straightforward.
Step 1: Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Add the aromatics. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn!
Step 3: Introduce the cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage to the pot. It might look like a lot, but it will cook down significantly. Stir it in and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt slightly.
Step 4: Pour in the liquid and spices. Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), turmeric, paprika, cumin, and black pepper to the pot. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Step 5: Simmer time! Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables, especially the carrots and cabbage, are tender.
Step 6: Finish and season. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice. Taste the soup and add salt as needed. This is a really important step – salt really helps the other flavors pop! Give it another taste and adjust any seasonings (more pepper? a pinch more cumin?) until it tastes just right to you.
Serve hot and enjoy your nourishing bowl!
Substitutions & Additions
This soup is wonderfully flexible! Feel free to play around based on what you have or what you like.
Want to add protein? Cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great!), ground turkey, or even some sliced sausage would be delicious additions. For a plant-based protein boost, stir in a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans or kidney beans during the last 10 minutes of simmering.
Mix up the veggies! You could toss in some chopped bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, or even some spinach or kale (add spinach right at the end, kale a bit earlier to soften). A diced potato or sweet potato would make it even heartier.
Spice it up! A pinch of red pepper flakes adds a lovely warmth. You could also swap out the cumin/paprika combo for something else, like an Italian seasoning blend.
Tips for Success
Making soup is pretty forgiving, but a couple of things can make it even better:
- Don’t Overcook the Cabbage: While you want it tender, mushy cabbage isn’t the goal. Start checking for doneness around the 15-minute mark of simmering.
- Taste and Adjust: I know I mentioned it in the steps, but seriously, taste before serving and adjust the salt and pepper (and maybe a little more lemon juice?) until the flavors sing.
- Chop Uniformly: Try to chop your vegetables into roughly similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Fresh is Best for Finishing: While dried herbs are fine in the pot, that sprinkle of fresh parsley and squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the very end makes a noticeable difference in brightness.
How to Store It
This soup is fantastic for meal prep and leftovers!
Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It also freezes exceptionally well! Pour cooled soup into freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little headspace as liquids expand when frozen. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
FAQs
Q: Is this soup really “fat burning”?
A: While no single food magically burns fat, this soup is very low in calories, high in fiber (from all those veggies!), and packed with nutrients. Eating a low-calorie, nutrient-dense soup like this as part of a balanced diet can absolutely support weight loss goals and overall health!
Q: Can I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
A: Absolutely! If you’re not aiming for a vegetarian or vegan soup, chicken broth will add another layer of savory flavor.
Q: Can I add other vegetables?
A: Yes, this soup is incredibly versatile! Feel free to add any non-starchy vegetables you have on hand, like bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, or even leafy greens like spinach or kale.
Q: How long does it take for the cabbage to get tender?
A: It usually takes about 15-20 minutes of simmering once you’ve added the broth. You want it tender but not completely falling apart.
Comforting & Healthy Cabbage Soup
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil Our starting point for building flavor. A good swirl in the pot is all you need.
- 1 medium Onion chopped: The aromatic foundation! Sweetens up as it cooks.
- 2 Carrots chopped: Adds sweetness, color, and that classic soup texture.
- 2 stalks Celery chopped: Another essential for our aromatic base, adding a lovely subtle savory note.
- 2 cloves Garlic minced: Because everything is better with garlic, right?
- 1 medium Head cabbage chopped: The star! It softens beautifully and becomes surprisingly tender and sweet in the soup.
- 4 cups Vegetable broth The liquid gold! Use a good quality one for best flavor.
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes with juice: Adds acidity and depth to the broth, balancing the flavors.
- 1 tsp Turmeric ground: For a beautiful golden color and lovely earthy warmth (plus, it's good for you!).
- 0.5 tsp Paprika Adds a sweet, peppery note.
- 1 tsp Cumin ground: Brings a warm, slightly smoky aroma that makes the soup extra cozy.
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper ground: A little kick to liven things up.
- Salt (to taste): Crucial for bringing all the flavors together. Start with a little and add more as needed at the end.
- 1 tbsp fresh Parsley chopped: A sprinkle of freshness at the end makes a big difference!
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice Brightens everything up and adds a lovely finishing touch. Don't skip this!
Instructions
- Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn!
- Introduce the cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage to the pot. It might look like a lot, but it will cook down significantly. Stir it in and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt slightly.
- Pour in the liquid and spices. Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), turmeric, paprika, cumin, and black pepper to the pot. Give everything a good stir to combine.
- Simmer time! Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables, especially the carrots and cabbage, are tender.
- Finish and season. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice. Taste the soup and add salt as needed. This is a really important step – salt really helps the other flavors pop! Give it another taste and adjust any seasonings (more pepper? a pinch more cumin?) until it tastes just right to you. Serve hot and enjoy your nourishing bowl!
Notes
- For protein, add cooked chicken, ground turkey, sliced sausage, or canned beans (like cannellini or kidney beans) during the last 10 minutes of simmering.
- Mix up veggies: add chopped bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, spinach (at the end), kale, diced potato, or sweet potato.
- Spice it up with red pepper flakes or swap spices for an Italian seasoning blend.
Tips for Success:
- Don't Overcook the Cabbage: Check for doneness around the 15-minute mark of simmering.
- Taste and Adjust: Adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice before serving.
- Chop Uniformly: Cut vegetables into similar sizes for even cooking.
- Fresh is Best for Finishing: Use fresh parsley and lemon juice at the end.
Storage:
- Cool completely before storing.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in airtight containers.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers/bags (leave headspace).
- Thaw overnight in the fridge; reheat on the stove or microwave.
FAQs:
- This soup is low in calories and high in fiber, supporting health and weight loss goals as part of a balanced diet.
- Chicken broth can be used instead of vegetable broth if not aiming for vegan/vegetarian.
- Other non-starchy vegetables can be added (bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, leafy greens).