Cabbage Soup Recipe
Updated Aug 24, 2026
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This easy cabbage soup recipe is loaded with tender cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers simmered in a flavorful fire-roasted tomato broth. It’s light yet satisfying, packed with vegetables, and made in one pot in about 30 minutes.
Easy Homemade Cabbage Soup
Cabbage shows up in a lot of the food I grew up eating, especially my Macedonian cabbage rolls! But when I want something much quicker, this soup is the way to go. Cabbage soup has come a long way from the bland, watery versions you might remember. This one gets plenty of flavor from garlic, herbs, tomato paste, and fire-roasted tomatoes, with lots of vegetables added along the way.
This is also one of my favorite clean-out-the-fridge soups. Have an extra zucchini? Throw it in. A handful of green beans or spinach that needs to be used? Add those, too. It’s an easy recipe to make your own, and with some crusty bread on the side, I’m very happy to call it dinner.
Why We Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes. Everything cooks in one pot, and the soup only needs a short simmer before it’s ready to serve.
- Loaded with vegetables. There’s plenty of cabbage, plus carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, onions, and tomatoes.
- Easy to customize. Keep it meatless, add beans, or bulk it up with chicken, sausage, ground beef, or whatever vegetables or proteins you have on hand.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cabbage: Green cabbage works great in this soup. It gets tender as it simmers while still keeping some texture. If you have cabbage left over, use it to make my fried cabbage with bacon!
- Onion and garlic: The aromatics that create the savory base for the broth.
- Carrots and bell peppers: They add sweetness, color, and texture.
- Zucchini and broccoli: I add these toward the end so they cook until tender without getting too soft.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor and gives the broth more depth.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: These bring a richer, slightly smoky tomato flavor to the soup.
- Vegetable broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth, but chicken broth also works if you don’t need the soup to be vegetarian.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Cabbage Soup
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the cooking oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, bell peppers, and carrots; season with salt and pepper, and cook for a few minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Add the cabbage. Stir in the garlic and parsley, followed by the cabbage. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to give the cabbage a head start.
- Build the broth. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the fire-roasted tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Pour in the broth and add the bay leaves.
- Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 7 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and broccoli. Stir them in and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender to your liking.
- Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves, taste the soup, and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the cabbage. You want it tender, not completely broken down. Watch it closely toward the end, especially if you’ve sliced it thinly.
- Add the zucchini and broccoli last. They cook much faster than the cabbage and carrots, so adding them near the end keeps them from getting mushy.
- Adjust the broth. If you prefer a brothier cabbage soup, add an extra cup or two of broth.
- Season at the end. Broths and canned tomatoes vary in saltiness, so taste the finished soup before adding more salt.
Cabbage Soup Variations
- Add meat. Brown Italian sausage or ground beef before adding the vegetables, or stir in cooked shredded chicken or diced ham toward the end.
- Add beans. Cannellini beans, kidney beans, or chickpeas are an easy way to make the soup more filling while keeping it meatless.
- Add more vegetables. Celery, potatoes, green beans, kale, or spinach would all work well. Just keep cooking times in mind when deciding when to add them.
- Make it spicy. Add crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne with the seasonings.
- Add pasta or rice. Stir in cooked orzo or ditalini, or try my cabbage and rice soup if you’re craving a heartier version with rice.
Serving Suggestions
This cabbage soup is light enough to pair with plenty of sides, or you can keep it simple with some bread for dunking. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Bread. My air fryer garlic bread is perfect for soaking up that tomato broth. Or keep it light with this cloud bread.
- A fresh salad. Pair your soup with this crisp green goddess salad or my kale quinoa salad.
- Grilled vegetables. If you’re serving the soup for dinner, these grilled vegetables with halloumi are another easy option.
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Cabbage Soup
This easy cabbage soup recipe is packed with tender cabbage and vegetables simmered in a flavorful tomato broth. It’s light, hearty, and ready in about 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 small orange bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 large carrot, cut into thin coins
- ¾ teaspoon salt, add more or less (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 5 cups chopped cabbage, about 1/2 head of a cabbage
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 6 to 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth, you can also use chicken broth or beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small zucchini, sliced and cut into half moons
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Instructions
- Prep. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large soup pot set over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the aromatics and vegetables. Add the onions to the heated oil and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the bell peppers, carrots, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and parsley, and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 4 minutes, or until it starts to wilt.
- Stir in the tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined. Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes and Italian seasoning.
- Add the broth and bay leaves. Stir in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaves; increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 7 minutes.
- Add the remaining veggies. Stir in the zucchini slices and broccoli florets; cook for 5 more minutes.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat, taste the cabbage soup for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Veggies: Switch up the veggies or add more. You could also toss in diced potatoes for a hearty touch. Frozen veggies work just fine.
- Protein boost: Add variations like diced ham, bacon, or shredded chicken.
- Legumes: Include rinsed kidney beans, cannellini beans, or chickpeas for a meatless protein option.
- Add pasta: Stir in a handful of orzo or ditalini pasta while the soup simmers.
- Spice: A sprinkle of red pepper flakes or extra herbs like rosemary or thyme can elevate the flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2333IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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How to Store and Reheat
- Refrigerate. Let the cabbage soup cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freeze. Store the cooled soup in freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the zucchini and broccoli may be a little softer once thawed.
- Reheat. Warm the soup in a pot over medium-low heat until heated through, or reheat individual servings in the microwave. If it’s frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge first.
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