Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup

Nothing beats a warm, comforting bowl of soup when you want something healthy and satisfying! This hearty vegetable cabbage soup is perfect for anyone looking to eat more veggies while enjoying a delicious meal. You’ll love how this fiber-packed soup keeps you full and happy without any fuss.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 35 minutes, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Healthy Pregnancy, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 253 Calories, 4g Fat, 43g Carbs, 10g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Olive oil: Just 1 tablespoon to get everything started. This gives our veggies that perfect golden color and amazing flavor.

Yellow onion: One medium onion chopped up adds that sweet, savory base that makes everything taste better. You can use white onion too if that’s what you have!

Garlic: 3 cloves minced will fill your kitchen with the most amazing smell. Fresh garlic really makes a difference here.

Green cabbage: 6 cups chopped is the star of our soup! Don’t worry about perfect cuts – rough chops work perfectly fine.

Carrots: 2 medium carrots roughly chopped add sweetness and beautiful color. Plus, they’re packed with good-for-you vitamins.

Celery: 2 large stalks chopped give us that perfect crunch and fresh flavor. I love how celery makes soup taste so much more interesting.

Crushed tomatoes: One 28-ounce can of no-salt-added crushed tomatoes creates our rich, flavorful broth. The no-salt version lets you control the seasoning.

Great northern beans: Two 15-ounce cans, rinsed, add protein and make this soup super filling. These white beans are so creamy and delicious!

Vegetable broth: 8 cups of low-sodium broth brings everything together. You can use regular broth if that’s what you have on hand.

Crushed red pepper: ¾ teaspoon gives just a tiny kick of heat. You can add more or less depending on what you like.

Salt and pepper: ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper season everything perfectly.

Fresh herbs: ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus extra for garnish, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme make this soup taste like it came from a fancy restaurant.

How to Make Hearty Vegetable Cabbage Soup

Step 1: Heat your olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then until it looks clear and smells amazing. Then add your minced garlic and stir constantly for just 1 minute until it smells incredible.

Step 2: Add the cabbage, carrots, and celery to your pot. Cook everything together for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll see the cabbage start to get soft and wilted – that’s exactly what you want!

Step 3: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, rinsed beans, vegetable broth, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a happy boil over medium-high heat. Then turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until the cabbage is perfectly tender.

Step 4: Remove your pot from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and thyme. Serve it up hot with some torn parsley leaves on top if you want to make it look extra pretty!

Easy and Quick Vegetable Cabbage Soup Version

Want to make this even faster? You can use a bag of pre-cut coleslaw mix instead of chopping your own cabbage! Use about 6 cups of the mix and skip the carrots since they’re usually already in there. You can also use frozen diced onions and pre-minced garlic from a jar to save even more time. This cuts your prep time down to just 5 minutes!

Serving Ideas

This soup is a complete meal all by itself, but it’s even better with some crusty bread on the side. I love serving it with warm dinner rolls or a simple grilled cheese sandwich. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top makes it extra special, though it’s absolutely delicious without it too.

Storage

Store your leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days in covered containers. You can freeze it for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers. To reheat, just warm it up on the stove over medium heat or pop it in the microwave until it’s hot all the way through.

Substitutions

No great northern beans? You can use navy beans, cannellini beans, or even chickpeas instead. If you don’t have fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon dried parsley and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. You can swap the cabbage for kale or spinach if you prefer – just add leafy greens in the last 5 minutes of cooking so they don’t get mushy.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the garlic step: That one minute of cooking garlic makes such a huge difference in flavor!
• Let the cabbage wilt properly: Those 8 minutes of cooking the veggies first creates amazing depth of flavor.
• Taste before serving: Add a pinch more salt or red pepper if you think it needs it.
• Make it ahead: This soup tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have time to mingle together.

FAQs

Is cabbage good for you?

You bet! Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that’s loaded with nutrition, especially vitamins C and K. Plant compounds in cabbage have been linked with fighting cancer and reducing inflammation. Two of the antioxidants in cabbage – lutein and zeaxanthin – are known for their eye health properties. Brassica vegetables, like cabbage, have been linked with reduced cholesterol, which in turn, reduces the risk of heart disease.

Are great northern beans healthy?

Absolutely! Great northern beans are a type of small white bean that provides a wealth of nutrition, including plant protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, iron and magnesium. Like all other beans, great northern beans are loaded with antioxidants, which means they help lower disease-causing inflammation and chronic disease. Thanks to their fiber content, these beans also help stabilize blood sugar.

Can I make this ahead?

Sure! This soup remains good in the fridge for up to five days, and you can freeze it for up to two months. It’s actually one of those soups that tastes even better after sitting overnight because all the flavors have time to blend together perfectly.

Can I use different vegetables?

Of course! This recipe is super flexible. You can add zucchini, bell peppers, or green beans. Just remember to add harder vegetables like potatoes earlier in the cooking process, and softer ones like spinach at the very end.

I hope you love this cozy soup as much as my family does! Let me know how it turns out for you and if you try any fun variations. There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of homemade soup to make any day feel special!