With fresh veggies, fire roasted tomatoes, and a handful of spices, this Cabbage Soup is both healthy and super flavorful! Enjoy for a light dinner or pair it with a side for a heartier meal. Ready in just over 30 minutes and perfect for freezing!
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe
This Cabbage Soup is one of my favorite soup recipes for the winter months, especially after the holidays. It’s light but still filling and super nutritious. Not to mention flavorful! It’s actually amazing how much flavor some fire roasted tomatoes and a few dried spices can add to a soup.
Cabbage is the main ingredient, of course, but those who think cabbage is bland and boring will likely be surprised by this. If you are wanting a heartier soup, try our Cabbage Roll Soup recipe that has ground beef.
Watch The Recipe Video!
I like to make a big batch of this cabbage soup one night and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week. Sometimes I’ll even make a double batch since it freezes well. (I included instructions below!)
Is Cabbage Soup Healthy?
Do you remember the cabbage soup diet from years ago? Where cabbage soup was touted as the ultimate detox and diet? That whole fad went a little overboard but the base did have some merit – cabbage soup IS healthy (usually).
This cabbage soup recipe in particular is low carb and pretty low calorie (and I’ve included ways to make it even lower calorie) but, more importantly, it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients. Cabbage itself is full of nutrients and vitamins while being low in calories. Add some carrots, celery, onions, and fire-roasted tomatoes…yup, this is a healthy soup recipe!
What You’ll Need
This healthy cabbage soup recipe is made with lots of veggies, a few spices, and just a couple of other easy-to-find ingredients. See the recipe card for measurements.
- Olive oil – For sauteeing the veggies.
- Vegetables – Carrots, celery, and onions add both flavor and nutrition to this healthy soup recipe.
- Garlic
- Spices – Dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley flakes, sea salt, and ground pepper season the soup.
- Cabbage – Core and chop into 1 inch pieces.
- Fire roasted tomatoes – Fire roasted tomatoes add a bit of heat to the soup. Be sure not to drain the cans, as you’ll want the juice for the broth.
- Vegetable broth – I like to use low-sodium broth in my soups.
- White wine vinegar – Helps to balance out the other savory ingredients.
- Fresh parsley – An optional garnish before serving.
How to Make Cabbage Soup
Here’s how to make this healthy soup recipe in just a few easy steps.
- Cook the vegetables. Cook the carrots, onion, and celery for 5 to 7 minutes in the olive oil over medium heat, until the onions are soft.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the minced garlic and spices.
- Add the cabbage and broth. Add the cabbage to the dutch oven. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth, roasted tomatoes, and white wine vinegar.
- Simmer. Cover the soup and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish and enjoy.
Easy Soup Variations
Want to customize your cabbage soup a bit? Here are a few recommendations for switching up the flavor, making it a bit heartier, or reducing the calories!
- Swap out the broth. For a more robust flavor, try using beef stock instead of vegetable broth. To reduce the calories, swap out some or all of the broth for water. (You may want to add extra seasonings as it will reduce the flavor.)
- Swap out the tomatoes. I used fire-roasted tomatoes for a bit of heat but regular diced tomatoes, Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, and Rotel all work as well.
- Add some protein. For extra protein, stir in some of your favorite canned beans, some cooked shredded chicken or cooked ground beef.
- Loaded it up with veggies. Feel free to stir in any fresh or frozen veggies, such as corn, broccoli, peas, green beans and peppers or fresh greens like kale or spinach. Most veggies can get added with the broth but wait to add any fresh greens until the last few minutes of cooking.
- What if I don’t have a dutch oven? This cabbage soup recipe is prepared in a dutch oven but if you don’t have one, a large stockpot works as well.
What to Serve with Healthy Cabbage Soup
This soup makes a great light meal on its own, especially if you’re treating it as a cabbage diet soup.
Otherwise, crusty bread is always a great option and jalapeno cheddar bread and beer bread would both be great as well.
You can also turn it into a heartier meal by adding a grilled cheese sandwich or hot ham and cheese. Or keep it light and healthy by adding a robust side salad instead.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Cabbage soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can be easily reheated in the microwave (best for individual servings) or on the stovetop.
Can I Freeze This?
Yes, this easy cabbage soup is perfect for freezing. Allow it to cool completely then transfer it to freezer ziplocs or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as directed above.
More Easy Soup Recipes:
- Vegetable Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Copycat)
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Dill Pickle Soup
Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ head cabbage cored and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (14.5 ounce cans, undrained)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Fresh ground pepper for taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are soft.
- Add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt, parsley flakes and fresh ground pepper. Stir for another minute.
- Add cabbage into the dutch oven, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Then add vegetable broth, fire roasted tomatoes and white wine vinegar.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir soup. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Last Step:
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6 comments on “Cabbage Soup (Easy & Healthy)”
Very Delicious love it ❤️
Thanks Lisa!
Delicious. Will make again.
I had never made cabbage soup before. In the past, I always made fried cabbage with sausage but I am now hooked on this soup. It’s healthy, delicious and good for a person trying to lose weight.
I can’t believe how similar this is to my own recipe. The ONLY changes I make are: a dash of dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, a tbsp of sugar and I substitute 1 cup of spicy Clamato for 1 cup of the veggie broth. It’s always a winner.
I haven’t made this recipe, but I have made several similar ones and they are always great. I think I will add one pound of hot Italian sausage and some other veggies like green beans, corn, etc.