I was first introduced to this Cabbage Soup recipe through the notorious cabbage soup diet. While I’m not a fan of that type of diet, I am a huge fan of this homemade Cabbage Soup recipe itself. Why? For one simple reason—it’s absolutely DELICIOUS. Yeah, I was surprised too. The first time I had the famed diet cabbage soup I was pleasantly surprised by how extremely flavorful and comforting the soup was. I actually ended up eating it over and over again just because I wanted to, not because I was trying to stick to the diet. And ever since, this recipe for cabbage soup has been one of my winter comfort food staples. 😅
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
The classic “cabbage soup diet” recipe has taken many forms over the years, but they all have one thing in common—they’re stuffed full of non-starchy vegetables swimming in a flavorful herb-filled broth. Here’s what you’ll need to make the BEST cabbage soup recipe you’ve ever had:
- Onion, Garlic, Celery, and Carrot: These four ingredients create the base for most of my soup recipes. It’s a basic mirepoix plus garlic, which gives the soup a deep flavor base.
- Cabbage: The start of the show! Cabbage makes this soup extra hearty, gives it volume, body, fiber and other nutrients, and all for pennies.
- Green Vegetables: I also add green bell pepper, green beans, and parsley to the soup to round out the medley of flavors and colors. You’re definitely getting your daily dose of veggies with this soup!
- Tomatoes: A combination of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce gives the soup a beautiful red color and even more texture to tempt your eyes.
- Vegetable Broth: Using a pre-made broth to fill out the soup ensures that every last drop is packed with flavor.
- Herbs and Spices: There’s already a lot of flavor going on in this soup but the addition of smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, and pepper really keeps the flavor exciting.
- Lemon Juice: this is the secret ingredient! A little bit of lemon juice at the end gives the soup a shot of brightness and keeps the flavors from being too heavy. Don’t skip this one!
Flavorful Variations
Soup recipes in general are very flexible, so there are so many options when it comes to making this cabbage soup your own. Here are some other great cabbage soup variations:
- Add beans (cannellini, chickpeas, kidney beans)
- Add meat: Ground beef (or check out my Beef and Cabbage Soup), Italian sausage, or shredded chicken
- Add cubed tofu (extra firm)
- Add potatoes to help bulk it up without adding a lot of cost
- Make it spicy: Add hot sauce or crushed red pepper to give the soup a kick!
How to Store Leftover Cabbage Soup
This cabbage soup recipe does make a really large batch, so it’s a good idea to freeze about half of it, just in case you can’t eat all of it within about five days. To freeze this soup, divide it into single-serving portions, chill it completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer for longer storage. Keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Shown with Homemade Garlic Bread.
Cabbage Soup
Servings 6 2 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 4 carrots ($0.57)
- 4 ribs celery ($0.50)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.69)
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 1 8oz. can tomato sauce ($0.34)
- 1/2 lb. frozen green beans ($0.67)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley ($0.23)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 6 cups chopped cabbage (½ head) ($1.14)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.78)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.04)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
- While the onion and garlic are sautéing, peel and slice the carrots, chop the celery, and dice the bell pepper. Add the carrot, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Continue to sauté as you measure the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, frozen green beans, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, and pepper. Continue to stir and cook while you chop the cabbage.
- Chop the cabbage into 1-inch pieces. Add the cabbage to the pot along with the vegetable broth and stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the soup to come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until the cabbage is to your desired tenderness.
- Once the cabbage is tender, season the soup with salt, starting with ½ tsp and adding more to your liking. Finish the soup by adding the lemon juice and stirring to combine. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Cabbage Soup – Step by Step Photos
Start by mincing four cloves of garlic and dicing one large onion. Add them both to a large soup pot with one tablespoon olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
While the onion and garlic are sautéing, peel and slice 4 carrots, slice 4 stalks of celery, and dice one green bell pepper. Add the carrots, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Continue to sauté over medium.
Add one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced), one 8oz. can tomato sauce, ½ lb. frozen green beans, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ½ Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp thyme, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir to combine.
Chop 1/2 head of cabbage into one-inch pieces (about 5-6 cups once chopped). Add the chopped cabbage to the pot along with 6 cups of vegetable broth.
Stir everything together, place a lid on the pot, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the soup to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes, or until the cabbage is to your desired tenderness.
Once the cabbage is tender, season the soup with salt, starting with 1/2 teaspoon, then adding more to taste (I used 1 tsp total). Next, add one tablespoon of lemon juice, which really helps brighten the flavors.
And then slurp down all that vegetable-y goodness! I garnished the cabbage soup with a little more fresh parsley, but it’s not needed for extra flavor.
This cabbage soup recipe goes great with some crusty bread (garlic or not) to soak up that delicious broth!
I loved this! After making it by the recipe the first time and really enjoying it, I substituted lima beans for the green beans for a little heartier taste. This recipe is so flexible; I imagine I’ll be making this, and variations on it, frequently. Thanks for posting it!
It’s such a fun one to add things to and play with the flavors.
Really delicious and easy, clear instructions. Many thanks
I threw in 1 can of regular rotes tomatoes too
Made a big pot… added a pound of cooked ground sausage. It was absolutely delicious! My husband and I both agreed the best soup I’ve ever made. We divided into 3 freezer bags for quick dinners. Thawed and reheated perfectly.
It’s so good to have on hand!
Hi, Beth. This looks like another winner. I remember my mom making “Skinny Soup” back in the 70s when she was on Weight Watchers, so I have a deep well of memories for cabbage soup in one form or another. :-)
My question: can the remaining parsley be frozen? I know that your site contains a bunch of handy hints about freezing, but I couldn’t find one relating to parsley or similar herbs.
Thanks so much for all that you do!
You can freeze parsley, but it’s not suited for everything once frozen. :) It will get limp after thawing, so if you’re going to use it in recipes where the parsley gets cooked that would be fine (because it wilts when cooked anyway). If you are looking to use it in recipes where it will stay fresh, like salads, the frozen parsley wouldn’t work so well.
Can you substitute lime for the lemon? Thank you!
It’s such a small amount that you probably can without much change in the flavor.
I’ve been making a similar soup for years to use up veg (I like it spicy so I use Thai Curry Paste as a base) and I’ve used lemon juice, lime juice and rice vinegar – it depends what I have to hand – at the end to give a little sour zing. It’s all good.
I prefer rice vinegar but that’s because it works best with the curry paste, to my taste anyway.
Excellent soup Beth. Loved the number crunching too. Made it exactly like yours except I sliced fresh tomatoes and change it up by adding a Thai Tom Kha soup paste spoonful for a little chili and lemongrass tang. Best to you. Kenny and Lori from Woodland, CA.
The first receipe didn’t say when to add the cabbage
It’s included in step 3: “Allow the vegetables in the pot to heat while you chop the cabbage. Chop the cabbage into one-inch strips or squares, then add them to the pot. Add the vegetable broth, chopped parsley, paprika, oregano, thyme, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine.”
I am thinking if you add beets, it would make great borscht too.
How many calories per 1 cup ?
I’m sorry, I don’t have nutrition info.
I entered the ingredients into MyFitness Pal, and it calculated 90 calories per serving! Each serving is two cups, so, 45 calories per cup. I might fill up on 3 or 4 cups now that I know. I love this soup! If someone else does the math and get another answer please let me know.
This soup is delicious! Added fresh green beans because I had them…. and some red pepper flakes.
I will be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Will this recipe be good for weight watchers?
I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with the weight watchers program or its requirements.
Of course! Looks like zero points to me.
I cant wait to make my next batch with your recipe! Tomato sauce and seasonings you use sound the best! I have lost weight and feel great!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I absolutely love it. That says a lot, considering that I don’t usually eat vegetables. This will be a healthy way for me to get a ton of healthy veggies.
How many carbs per serving (2 cups)
Of the cabbage soup?