The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe

I've spent years cooking for my family and looking for meals that are both healthy and satisfying. This cabbage soup has become our go-to comfort food. What began as a way to use up a huge head of cabbage from the garden turned into the most requested soup in our home. It’s not some bland diet food it’s hearty, full of flavor, and just happens to be good for you too!

Homemade cabbage soup with carrots, tomatoes, and herbs in a white bowl, garnished with fresh parsley and black pepper on a dark table.

Why You'll Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe

This cabbage soup recipe fixes every headache I've had with healthy soups before. Most vegetable soups leave you starving again in an hour, but this one actually fills you up because of all the vegetables and fiber. Emma likes it because it doesn't taste weird or "green" like some healthy stuff I try to make him eat. You can cook a big pot on Sunday and have dinner sorted for the whole week.

The best part is how cheap it is. One head of cabbage costs like two bucks and feeds us for days. You probably have everything else you need already sitting around your kitchen. It's one of those recipes where you can feed your family something good for them without spending a fortune or being stuck in the kitchen all day.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe
Ingredients for Cabbage Soup
How To Make Cabbage Soup Step By Step
Easy Swaps for Cabbage Soup
Storing Your Cabbage Soup
Cabbage Soup Recipe Variations
Equipment For Cabbage Soup Recipe
My Cousin's Hidden Gem: A Recipe for Success
Top Tip
What to Serve With
FAQ
Time to Start Cooking!
Related
Pairing
Cabbage Soup

Ingredients for Cabbage Soup

What You Need:

Green cabbage
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Canned tomatoes
Broth
Garlic
Bell peppers

An overhead view of fresh, real vegetables arranged on a rustic wooden surface: a large head of green cabbage, whole carrots with tops, yellow onions, garlic bulbs, celery stalks, tri-color bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange), canned diced tomatoes in small bowls, and a pot of golden broth. The ingredients are unprocessed and organized casually, evoking a cozy home cooking atmosphere.

Spices:

Bay leaves
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
Paprika
Red pepper flakes (if you like heat)

Extra Stuff:

Ground beef or turkey (if you want meat)
Green beans
Corn
Potatoes

See recipe card for quantities.

A rustic wooden table topped with fresh cabbage soup ingredients, including green beans, ground beef, golden potatoes, bright yellow corn, and a variety of vibrant spices in small wooden bowls—like paprika, turmeric, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and bay leaves. The setup has a warm, homemade, real-kitchen vibe with natural lighting and a slightly weathered wooden background.

How To Make Cabbage Soup Step By Step

Get Ready:

Chop all your vegetables
Open the cans
Have spices nearby
Get broth out

Chopped onions sautéing in a large white Dutch oven, turning golden and fragrant. A wooden spoon stirs the base of the cabbage soup while small bowls of spices and lemon slices sit on a marble countertop in the background.

Start:

Put some oil in your pot
Cook onions until they smell good (5 minutes)
Add garlic for another minute
Add carrots and celery

Keep Going:

Pour in broth
Add tomatoes
Put in spices
Let it bubble

Homemade cabbage soup being prepared as warm golden broth is poured into a pot filled with chopped cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. A wooden spoon stirs the hearty mixture inside a white enamel pot, with fresh parsley and seasonings nearby on a marble counter.

Finish:

Take out bay leaves
Add chopped cabbage
Cook for 20 minutes
Taste and add salt

Hearty cabbage soup simmering in a large white Dutch oven, topped with freshly chopped parsley, green onions, garlic, and lemon zest. The colorful mix of vegetables includes carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and celery in a rich tomato broth, with a wooden spoon resting inside the pot.

Easy Swaps for Cabbage Soup

Different Vegetables:

Cabbage → Kale or spinach
Carrots → Sweet potatoes
Celery → Zucchini
Bell peppers → Whatever peppers you have

Broth:

Chicken broth → Vegetable broth
Store-bought → Homemade
Regular → Low-sodium
Broth → Water (but add more spices)

Meat:

Ground beef → Ground turkey
Fresh meat → Leftover chicken
Regular → Lean beef
Meat → Leave it out

Don't Have It:

Paprika → Whatever spice you have
Canned tomatoes → Fresh tomatoes
Italian seasoning → Basil and oregano
Bay leaves → Forget about them

Storing Your Cabbage Soup

Fridge (3-4 days):

Let it cool down first
Put in containers
Don't leave it sitting out
Heat it up on the stove

Freezer (2-3 months):

Cool it completely
Use containers with lids
Leave space at the top
Write the date on it

Heating It Up:

Add salt if it needs it
Stove works better than microwave
Add water if it gets too thick
Stir while it heats

Cabbage Soup Recipe Variations

Meat Version:

Cook some ground beef first
Add sausage
Use leftover chicken
Switch to beef broth

Hot Soup:

More red pepper flakes
Chopped jalapeños
Hot sauce when you serve it
Cayenne

Winter Soup:

Add potatoes
Throw in beans
Use corn
Add noodles or rice

Lots of Vegetables:

Extra vegetables
Fresh herbs
Green beans
Zucchini

Equipment For Cabbage Soup Recipe

Big pot
Knife
Cutting board
Can opener
Spoon for stirring

My Cousin's Hidden Gem: A Recipe for Success

My cousin found something good with this cabbage soup when he was trying to lose weight for his wedding. He'd been making the regular version for weeks and got sick of it, so he started trying different stuff. One night, he ran out of broth and all he had was leftover chicken drippings from Sunday dinner. Instead of going to the store, just mixed those drippings with water to make his own broth.

Now he saves his chicken drippings in the freezer just for this soup. He calls it his "liquid gold" and says it's what helped him lose thirty pounds before his wedding. The other thing does is add a little apple cider vinegar at the end. Just a tablespoon makes everything taste brighter and cuts through the grease if you use meat. It's tiny but it works. Emma doesn't know it's there, but he always eats his whole bowl when I make it is way.

Top Tip

Here's what took me forever to figure out: the order you add stuff matters way more than I thought. I used to just throw everything in the pot at once and wonder why some batches tasted great and others were just okay. You have to cook the onions first until they get soft and start to smell good - that's when they release all their sweetness. If you just dump them in with everything else, they stay sharp and bitter.

The cabbage is the trickiest part. Add it too early and it turns to mush. Wait too long and it stays crunchy and raw-tasting. I learned to add it when there's about 20 minutes left of cooking time. That way it gets soft but still has some bite to it, and it doesn't make the whole soup taste like overcooked vegetables

What to Serve With

This cabbage soup fills you up pretty good on its own, but sometimes you want something extra to make it feel like a real meal. I've made this for lots of people, and here's what works. Bread is the best thing to serve with this soup. Crusty bread, dinner rolls, or just buttered toast makes everyone happy. The bread soaks up the broth and makes you feel more full.

For more food, this soup goes good with grilled cheese sandwiches or quesadillas. The cheesy stuff balances out all the vegetables. If you want to stay healthy, add a simple salad or some roasted vegetables. Just don't go crazy with sides or you'll be too full to eat your soup. I learned this the hard way when I made soup, garlic bread, salad, and dessert one night - nobody could finish anything.

FAQ

What ingredients go in cabbage soup?

Basic cabbage soup needs cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, broth, and canned tomatoes. Most people add garlic, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. You can add other vegetables like bell peppers, potatoes, or green beans. Some people put in meat like ground beef or leftover chicken to make it fill you up more.

Does the 7 day cabbage soup diet really work?

People lose weight on it because you're eating very few calories, but it's mostly water weight. You'll gain it back when you eat normal food again. This soup is good for getting more vegetables, but eating only soup for a week isn't realistic or smart for your health

What makes cabbage soup taste better?

Good broth makes the biggest difference - use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. Cook your onions and garlic first instead of dumping everything in the pot. Add lemon juice or vinegar at the end to make flavors pop. Don't overcook the cabbage or it gets mushy and nasty.

What spices go with cabbage soup?

Bay leaves and Italian seasoning are the basics. Paprika adds color and mild flavor. Red pepper flakes give it heat if you want that. Garlic powder works if you don't have fresh garlic. Salt and black pepper are obvious but important. Fresh herbs like parsley taste good added at the end.

Time to Start Cooking!

Now you know how to make cabbage soup that doesn't suck - from getting the cooking order right to Jake's chicken dripping trick. This soup shows that healthy food doesn't have to taste like cardboard or cost a fortune, and it's one of those recipes that gets better the more you make it.

Want more meals that fill everyone up without costing too much? Try our Perfect Roast Beef Recipe that feeds a bunch of people and tastes like Sunday dinner. Need something the kids will eat without complaining? Our Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe always works at our house. Or make our Best Cheeseburger Sliders Recipe when you want comfort food that's actually fun to eat!