BEST Cabbage Soup - Downshiftology (2024)

Cabbage soup is about as comforting and healthy as they come! All you need to do is simmer a bunch of sliced cabbage with mirepoix vegetables, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs for an easy and delicious, low calorie meal.

Because you all loved my lentil soup so much, I couldn’t wait to make this cabbage soup. It’s cozy, flavorful, and all sorts of healthy thanks to the nutritional powerhouse: cabbage! This vegetable shines bright with health benefits (which I’ll get to below) and is a great anti-inflammatory and low-carb veggie to include in your routine.

And while this soup is on the lighter side, there’s so many ways to make this the hearty, winter soup of your dreams. It’s truly one of the most adaptable soups! You can add in ground meat, plant-based proteins, extra veggies, different spices and the list goes on. Needless to say, this is a warming, soothing recipe you’ll want to keep up your sleeve during the cold winter months!

Cabbage Soup Ingredients

While cabbage takes center stage in this soup, the supporting ingredients add tons of flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need.

• Cabbage: Green cabbage is best for its tenderness and sweetness when cooked, especially in soups.
• Mirepoix Vegetables: Chop up white onion, celery, and carrot for a nourishing veggie base.
• Garlic: Two cloves are great, but if you’re like me and love garlic, feel free to add a little more!
• Herbs: A combo of dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley for herbal goodness.
• Diced Tomatoes: I’m using regular diced tomatoes, but feel free to use fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
• Vegetable Broth: While this recipe uses 4 cups, you can add extra for a more brothy soup.
• Olive Oil: Gives the sautéed vegetables life in this soup recipe.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Health Benefits Of Cabbage

Not only is this cruciferous vegetable easy on the wallet, but it’s chock-full of health benefits! The list is pretty extensive, but here’s a few notes that highlight why everyone raves about cabbage:

• Jam-packed with nutrients: These leaves have a mighty dose of Vitamin C (which is a great immune booster), along with fiber, potassium, magnesium, and a variety of other nutrients.
• Loaded with antioxidants: Aside from Vitamin C and manganese, cabbage really shines with phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that help prevent damage to your body’s cells.
• An anti-inflammatory superstar: With it’s strongstrong anti-inflammatory agents such as sulforaphane and glutamine, cabbage can reduce irritation, pain, fever, and other bodily disorders.
• Great for digestion: Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, in a good way. It also keeps you regular, and it could help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar.
• Helps with weight loss: Because cabbage is low in calories, the “cabbage soup diet” has been known to help shed a few pounds. But…you know I’m not a fan of detox diets and quick fixes. Your body still needs more nutrients from other foods. So just enjoy this soup for the vegetarian goodness that it offers.

How To Make The Best Cabbage Soup

If 30-minute meals are your jam, you’ll be happy to know this is one of them! Just quickly chop some vegetables, let it all simmer, and you’re ready to serve.

• Sauté the veggies: In a large pot, sauté the diced onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and spices.
• Load up the cabbage: Let the cabbage sweat for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently. It should get nice and soft.
• Add the rest: Pour in the vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes, and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
• Add the final touches. Remove the pot from heat, stir in lemon juice, parsley, pepper, and serve!

Flavorful Variations

The beauty of this soup is that it’s the perfect blank canvas. So if you want to make it extra flavorful or satiating, give these options a try!

• Beef it up with meat. You can add shredded chicken, diced baked chicken breast, carnitas, pulled pork, beef chunks, ground turkey, and the list goes on!
• Add in a vegan protein. For a vegetarian option, you can add in white beans, chickpeas, or lentils (just add a bit more broth for cooking).
• Load it up with extra vegetables.Whatever veggies you love, toss it in! A few favorites I love to add are bell peppers, zucchini slices, or leafy greens such as kale.
• Make it satiating with carbs.For an even heartier soup, add in chopped potato chunks or cooked rice.
• Add some heat. A dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will add just the right amount of heat.
• Add more herbs.For a bigger herbal pop, add in fresh rosemary and thyme.
• Thicken the base up.Stir in some tomato paste to make the tomato broth a bit thicker.

More Easy Cabbage Recipes

The beauty of cabbage is that it can take on so many forms! From raw to cooked, here’s a few delicious ideas to add to your list.

• Sauteed Cabbage
• Fried Cabbage
• Pulled Pork, Cabbage, and Arugula Salad
• Warm Sweet Potato Noodles, Cabbage, and Lentil Salad

And if you’re looking for more cozy winter soups, check out my selection of soup recipes!

If you make this cabbage soup, let me know how it turned out!I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.