Cabbage Soup

I was first introduced to this 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 tried it, I was pleasantly surprised by how extremely flavorful and comforting it 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 has been one of my comfort food staples. 😅

All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.

“Absolutely love this soup! I’ve made it twice in the last month (mainly because my dad gave me a cabbage bigger than a bowling ball 😂 ) but it’s so good! I add ground beef & barley to it to beef it up a little but it’s just packed with flavor in general. Thank you so much for this recipe.”

Chantel

Easy Recipe for Cabbage Soup

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. Cabbage is the star here, giving the soup plenty of volume, fiber, and nutrients, all for just pennies. I also throw in green bell pepper, green beans, and fresh parsley to round out the medley of flavors (and sneak in even more greens!). This recipe is serious proof that budget-friendly meals can still be wholesome, satisfying, AND downright delicious!

Share this recipe

FacebookWhatsAppEmailPin

Cabbage Soup Recipe

4.85 from 121 votes

This delicious Cabbage Soup recipe is super healthy, chock-full of flavorful vegetables, and perfect for cold fall and winter days.

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 6 2 cups each

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Save Recipe Print Recipe Read the reviews

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic ($0.20)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.78)
• 4 carrots ($0.36)
• 4 ribs celery ($0.60)
• 1 green bell pepper ($0.86)
• 6 cups chopped cabbage (½ head) ($1.51)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.19)
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes* ($1.48)
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce** ($0.48)
• 1/2 lb. frozen green beans ($0.64)
• 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 ($0.05)
• 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.54)
• 1 tsp salt ($0.01)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice*** ($0.05)

Email Me This Recipe

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Send!

Instructions 

• Mince your garlic cloves, dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, slice the celery, dice the bell pepper, and chop the cabbage into 1-inch pieces.
• Add the prepared garlic, onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and olive oil to a pot with over medium heat. Sauté until the onions soften.
• Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, frozen green beans, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, and pepper. Continue to stir and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
• 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.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

---

Equipment

• Dutch Oven
• Measuring Cups Spoons
• Chef’s Knife
• Garlic Press

Notes

*I use petite diced tomatoes, but regular canned diced tomatoes also work.

**For anyone living outside of the U.S., our tomato sauce is puréed cooked tomatoes with a little salt and sometimes a small amount of added seasoning (like onion powder). The closest alternative will probably be passata.

***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!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSodium: 1783mgFiber: 7g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

Video

How to Make Cabbage Soup Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Prep the veggies: Mince four cloves of garlic, dice one yellow onion, peel and slice 4 carrots, slice 4 stalks of celery, dice one green bell pepper, and chop 1/2 head of cabbage into one-inch pieces (about 5-6 cups once chopped).

Sauté the veggies: Add the prepared veggies and garlic to a large soup pot with one tablespoon olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until softened.

Make the soup: Add one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced), one 8oz. can tomato sauce, ½ lb. frozen green beans, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, ½ Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two.

Add the chopped cabbage to the pot along with 6 cups of vegetable broth.

Simmer: 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.

Season: 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. 

Serve: And then slurp down all that vegetable-y goodness! I garnished my cabbage soup with a little more freshly cracked black pepper, but that’s totally optional. Serve, and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This cabbage soup recipe goes great with some crusty bread (garlic or not) to soak up that delicious broth! A warm and buttery dinner roll is also absolutely delightful. But if I’m craving something heartier, I’ll pair it with a sandwich, and a Reuben sandwich sounds like the perfect choice to me!

How to Store Leftover Cabbage Soup

This recipe makes 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 3-4 days. To freeze this soup, divide it into single-serving portions, chill it completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer it to the freezer for longer storage. Keep in the freezer for up to three months.

More Delicious Cabbage recipes

Cabbage Steaks

$3.60 servings / $0.90 recipe

Fried Cabbage

$3.39 recipe / $0.85 serving

Corned Beef and Cabbage

$22.63 recipe / $3.77 serving

Cabbage Casserole

$9.47 recipe / $0.78 serving