This healthy cabbage soup is a mix of carrots, celery, bell peppers, cabbage and green beans, all simmered together in a savory broth. A quick and easy low calorie meal that’s full of flavor!
When I’m looking to lighten things up a bit, I turn to veggie loaded soups like chicken and vegetable soup, Olive Garden minestrone soup and this simple yet satisfying cabbage soup.
There’s nothing better than a hearty soup loaded with veggies, and this cabbage soup is always a great bet. It’s low in calories yet packed with nutrition and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Cabbage soup is the perfect light lunch or dinner for when you’re trying to follow a healthy diet.
Enjoy this cabbage soup with side dishes like homemade dinner rolls, honey cornbread, cauliflower mashed potatoes or roasted parsnips! This soup is also delicious on St. Patrick’s Day!
Table of Contents
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
To make this cabbage soup you will need olive oil, an onion, carrots, celery, garlic, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, green cabbage, a can of diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, green beans, parsley, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Cabbage Soup?
To make this cabbage soup recipe first heat olive oil in a large pot on a stove. Add onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook about 5 minutes. Next, place minced garlic in the pot and let it cook for 30 seconds. Add the chopped red and green peppers and cabbage to the pot. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and the chicken broth. Season everything with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is tender. Add the green beans and cook everything for another 5 minutes. Finally, serve the soup with a sprinkle of parsley.
Tips For The Perfect Cabbage Soup
- Cut all the vegetables into similar sizes so that they cook at the same rate.
- I prefer to have my veggies in large chunks for a heartier soup.
- You can use fresh or frozen green beans in your cabbage soup, whichever you prefer.
- I typically make this soup with chicken broth, but you can also make it with vegetable broth, seafood broth or beef broth.
Quick Tip
You can buy Italian seasoning or make your own Italian seasoning by making your own blend of herbs and spices.
Recipe FAQs
Cabbage soup is a great way to get in your veggies and also happens to be very low calorie, which makes it a good option for a diet plan. Any broth based vegetable soup would be a nice choice if you’re trying to eat healthier and shed some pounds. Steer clear of soups that contain higher calorie ingredients such as butter, cream, pasta, bacon and cheese.
Cabbage contains fiber that may cause gas in some people. To minimize gas you want to cook your cabbage until it is tender. You can also make a soup with a little less cabbage and more other vegetables like carrots and tomatoes.
Cabbage soup leftovers stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days which makes it perfect for meal prep.
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Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup
You can make this recipe in a crock pot. Simply, place all the ingredients except the parsley in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Flavor Variations
This cabbage soup is designed to be a low calorie meal, but you can add other ingredients if you’re looking to add more flavors.
- Protein: Try this soup with shredded chicken, ground turkey or extra lean ground beef.
- Starches: Add some potatoes or brown rice to the soup.
- Vegetables: You can use your favorite veggies for this soup. Some great options include zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, leeks and spinach.
- Vegetarian: Make a vegetarian version of this soup by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
- Beans: You can add canned white beans, cannellini beans or kidney beans to this soup.
- Lower Calorie: I really think the olive oil adds richness to the soup and is worth the calories. That being said, if you’re looking to make this soup as low calorie as possible, you can skip the olive oil and simply simmer everything in the broth.
- Seasonings: Add extra flavor with a squeeze of lemon juice, some thyme, oregano or basil.
- Spicy: Bring the heat with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Thicker: Remove some of the cooked soup and puree it in a blender, then pour it back into the pot with the rest of the soup. Stir it together and enjoy!
I eat this soup all the time, it’s the absolute best way to get a hefty dose of veggies into your day and it also happens to taste great! Make a batch today and enjoy it all week long for a healthy boost.
More Great Soup Recipes
Chicken Enchilada Soup
30 mins
Chicken and Rice Soup
35 mins
Beef Barley Soup
2 hrs
Vegetable Beef Soup
1 hr 40 mins
Cabbage Soup Video
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Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrots peeled, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces, seeds and core removed
- 1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces, seeds and core removed
- 3 cups cabbage coarsely chopped
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup green beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Add the red and green peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chicken broth to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer; cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Notes
- Cut all the vegetables into similar sizes so that they cook at the same rate.
- I prefer to have my veggies in large chunks for a heartier soup.
- You can use fresh or frozen green beans, whichever you prefer.
I always forget how much I enjoy cabbage soup until I eat it and can’t get enough. Thanks!
I made this according to the recipe, except I had a huge leek so I used that instead of Ann onion, and I added some diced red potato. It was soooo good!
I make this all the time! So good and so low calorie
Can you pressure can this cabbage soup without meat and how long do you pressure can it
I have never done any pressure canning myself so I can’t say if it would work or not!
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Yes you can!
Can you omit the tomatoes? Will it alter the taste a lot?
That should be fine!
Does the green beans have to be fresh or can it be can green beans?
Canned or frozen both work!
My favorite soup for a diet! You can eat as much as you want! Tastes good for days and healthy!
So looks delicious and beautiful
I think our family would love this recipe. Sounds so wholesome and delicious!