There’s a ton of recipes for Cabbage Soup, but this one is the BEST! Flavorful, filling veggies in a delicious broth and ground chicken for lean protein!
Of course, you can leave out the ground chicken completely if you’re looking to keep this soup vegetarian, but since we aren’t vegetarian, we like the extra protein. Also be sure to check out this Detox Chicken Soup recipe, so good for you and our kids gobble it up!
Is This A Diet Soup Recipe?
Cabbage Soup is well known for being a weight loss soup recipe. The Cabbage Soup Diet was big in the 80’s and is still popular with a lot of people. The great thing about cabbage is that not only is it good for you, but it’s super inexpensive and it keeps in your refrigerator a long, long time.
Cabbage is super low in calories and a great source of fiber, so you can eat a lot of it and it not only fills you up but also nourishes your body. Some people claim that it helps to keep them “regular” too…but you’ll have to try it out for yourself!
So when you go through that vegetable drawer in your fridge and start tossing all the veggies that you haven’t used up, your trusty head of cabbage will still be ready and waiting for you.
Tips For Making The Best Cabbage Soup!
This is definitely a clean out the fridge recipe, so if you have other vegetables that you’d like to add in this soup recipe, go ahead and throw them in! Check out the post down below for some more ingredient options.
This soup will also taste better as the flavors blend together, so it’s perfect for make ahead meals, meal prepping for during the week and big batch cooking and then freezing for later.
To save time, you can grab cabbage and already shredded at the grocery store if you don’t feel like chopping. For texture, I do prefer the diced cabbage as opposed to shredded cabbage but it’s all up to your preference.
Season, season, season this cabbage soup! No one likes bland anything, and a soup made up of almost all vegetables can tend to be a little on the bland side. So make sure that you add the seasonings per the recipe but also taste along the way. You might prefer more of less seasonings, so taste as you go!
Can You Freeze Cabbage Soup?
Cabbage Soup is perfect for freezing! We like to make a double batch of this soup recipe just to have extra for freezing. We use these Souper Cubes to freeze individual portions for easy meals. These silicone containers come in different sizes and they pop right out into a pot or into a bowl for the microwave.
This soup will stay good in the freezer for about 3 months, give or take, so make sure to use it up while you have it!
What Other Ingredients Can I Add To This Cabbage Soup Recipe?
As I mentioned before, this soup recipe is a clean out the fridge type recipe. So there are many, many ingredients that you can add to your liking or what you have on hand.
Protein:
- Shredded Chicken, Rotisserie Chicken
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Pork
- Ground Beef
- Diced Tofu
Vegetables:
- Chopped Broccoli
- Edamame
- Green Beans
- Fresh or Frozen Spinach
- Peas
- Cauliflower
- Kale
Pasta or Grains:
- Any small pasta like pastina, acini de pepe, ditalini, mini bowties, mini shells
- White or Brown Rice
- Farro
- Barley
Can I Make This Cabbage Soup Recipe In The Slow Cooker?
Yes! Start by browning the ground chicken (if you’re using a protein) along with the onions and garlic in a skillet. Stir in the tomato paste and then add that to the bottom of your slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for eight hours or on high for 4 hours. You want the vegetables to be tender, so if you’re cooking this soup on high and the veggies aren’t quite tender, just give it a little more time.
Looking For More Soup Recipes?
- Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup with Italian Sausage
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Cabbage Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
This delicious cabbage soup recipe is actually one that you’re going to love! Tons of vegetables in a flavorful broth that will get you in your daily vegetables and then some!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 1/2 cups diced onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or fresh ginger, finely grated or chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups diced green cabbage
- 3 cups diced red or purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ground chicken and cook while breaking the chicken up into smaller pieces. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes. (At this point you can transfer to a slow cooker, followed by the rest of the ingredients. See note in recipe card for additional directions)
- Add the cabbage, carrots, oregano, salt, onion salt, garlic powder and cumin. Stir together and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, uncover and stir. Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with juice, stir again and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the soup, uncovered for 30 minutes. (Add cooked grains or cooked pasta or rice at this point if using) Taste for seasonings and serve.
Recipe Notes
After step 1, add the chicken mixture to a slow cooker that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook on low for 8 hours and on high for 4 hours. Add cooked rice, pasta or grains at the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
If you’re making this Cabbage Soup without the ground chicken, cook the onions and garlic in a skillet, stir in the tomato paste and then transfer to a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Awesome and super healthy! I added celery and a leek. SO much flavor
I added chopped potatoes. And bay leaves