The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2024)

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The best Cabbage Soup recipe is packed with unexpected flavors (hello, pickle juice!) and will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl. This healthy soup recipe is the ultimate cozy winter dinner idea.

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (1)

My first long-term boyfriend was a Ukrainian I met in college. I took classes in Russian, visited his family in Ukraine, and learned some of his best secrets in the kitchen.

While the relationship eventually ended, his recipe for The Best Cabbage Soup lives on.

Yes, I know some of the ingredients like pickle juice sound odd, but trust me; this easy soup recipe is mind-blowingly good.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Cabbage Soup Recipe

Recipe ingredients

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2)

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Beef broth: Or substitute chicken broth. You can opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
  • Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
  • Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering.Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (3)
  1. Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 tsp dill. Bring to a boil.Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (4)
  1. Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice.Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (5)

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: This soup can be made up to 3 days in advance. Or, get a jump-start on prep by peeling and chopping all the vegetables and store covered in the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: Transfer to freezer-safe containers (I love glass mason jars), leaving 1/2-inch headspace, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Whole30 Compatible: Cabbage Soup is already Whole30 Compatible, so just omit the sour cream for serving and you’re good to go.
  • More veggies: Customize your vegetable blend based on what you love and what’s in your crisper drawer. Cubed potatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and diced tomatoes would all be delicious in this soup.
  • Herbs and spices: If you don’t love the dill flavor, omit the fresh dill and pickle juice and choose herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, and fresh parsley. For a little heat, add a tbsp of red pepper flakes.
  • Make it meaty: Since this recipe is originally from the Ukraine, it would be completely appropriate to make cabbage soup with kielbasa or Polish sausage. Simply brown the sausages in advance, then add the links to the soup to simmer with the vegetables. Remove the whole sausages just before serving to slice and add back into the soup. Other tasty protein options: browned ground beef (for a cabbage roll-inspired rendition), ground turkey, cooked bacon, ham hock or ham bone, or shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken.
  • Crockpot: Transfer the finished soup to a slow cooker for buffet and party service. Serve sour cream, plenty of dark, hearty bread, and fresh dill on the side.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cut cabbage?

1. Remove any damaged or browned outer leaves and rinse under cold water.
2. Place the head of cabbage on a cutting board or clean work surface with the stem side down.
3. Locate the stem of the cabbage. With a chef’s knife, cut in half lengthwise, all the way through the core.
4. If making shredded cabbage, remove the triangular core by cutting into the core at an angle where the stem meets the leaves of the cabbage, and remove it from each half.
5. Place the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board. Starting at the end opposite the stem, cut crosswise from top to bottom into thin slices.

What is cabbage soup good for?

Cabbage soup is an easy, delicious way to eat more vegetables. A bowl of hot hearty cabbage soup is perfectly contrasted by garnishes of cold sour cream and sour pickle juice. It’s perfection.

Best soup-pairing breads

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The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (11)

Cabbage Soup

By Meggan Hill

The best Cabbage Soup recipe is packed with unexpected flavors (hello, pickle juice!) and will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl. This healthy soup recipe is the ultimate cozy winter dinner idea.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 4 servings

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Russian

Calories 195

5 from 53 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

  • Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dill. Bring to a boil.Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

  • Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice.Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Beef broth: Or opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
  2. Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
  3. Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 1004mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 5246IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to soup? ›

7 Tips for Successful Soup Making
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. It is worth investing in a heavy pot with a thick bottom to use for making soup. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

How many pounds can you lose in a week eating cabbage soup? ›

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a short-term weight loss diet. Proponents of the diet say that it can help you lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in a single week, but many health experts warn that the diet does not promote health and wellness, and results are unsustainable.

How many bowls of cabbage soup can you eat a day? ›

Most variations of this diet suggest that people eat this soup two to three times a day, although some variations enable the participants to consume even more of the soup. The cabbage soup used in this diet combines ingredients like broth, nonstarchy vegetables, pepper, herbs and, of course, cabbage.

Why does my cabbage soup taste so bland? ›

The most common reason your soup doesn't taste that great is because it's missing a brightening element. Soup can be heavy, creamy, and rich (that's why we love it so much). But too much richness tastes flat. Almost every bowl of soup can benefit from a zippy and fresh addition.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What gives soup the best flavor? ›

Some of our favorites are Dried Shallots, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Tomato Flakes, Minced Onion and Roasted Garlic Flakes. Or, add a bay leaf to your recipe. The bay leaf will give the soup a little something extra without overwhelming the dish.

What is the Dolly Parton diet? ›

You may have heard of something called the Dolly Parton Diet — which consists of eating cabbage soup (yes, cabbage soup!) as your main meals along with fruit and vegetables. It's also known as the TWA Stewardess Diet and, well, the Cabbage Soup Diet.

Does cabbage burn belly fat? ›

Does cabbage burn belly fat? Although cabbage is a nutritious low-calorie vegetable, many people associate it with weight loss because of the popular "cabbage soup diet". Some creative marketing has led people to believe that cabbage actually burns body fat. In fact, no food, including cabbage, burns body fat.

What happens to your body when you eat cabbage soup? ›

The cabbage soup diet stimulates the body's metabolism and fat mobilization. This diet limits your calorie intake and causes your body to burn fat for energy. Low sodium, low calories, and high fiber allow you to lose weight faster if you followed a reasonable long-term dietary plan.

What can't you eat on the cabbage soup diet? ›

The cabbage soup diet allows you to eat all of the cabbage soup you like in addition to adding certain foods on specific days throughout the week. No bread, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, including diet sodas.

What are the rules of cabbage soup diet? ›

Day 1: Eat cabbage soup and raw fruits, but no bananas. Day 2: Eat cabbage soup and cooked or raw vegetables, but no potatoes. Day 3: Eat cabbage soup and raw, low fat fruits and vegetables, but no potatoes or bananas. Day 4: Eat cabbage soup, skim milk, and no more than eight bananas.

What can you eat while on the cabbage soup diet? ›

What You Can Eat
  • Day 1: Fruit, except bananas.
  • Day 2: Vegetables like leafy greens (not starchy), but no fruit.
  • Day 3: Fruits and vegetables.
  • Day 4: Bananas and skim milk.
  • Day 5: Beef (or baked chicken without the skin) and tomatoes.
  • Day 6: Beef and vegetables.
  • Day 7: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices, and vegetables.
Sep 1, 2022

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

Why does my stomach hurt after eating cabbage soup? ›

“Additionally, cruciferous vegetables—like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts—contain raffinose, an indigestible sugar. As it's fermented by bacteria in the gut, gas is produced, which is why you may experience flatulence and discomfort after eating these foods.

What vegetables can you not put in soup? ›

any veggie can be used in soup, but unless you're making a very delicate, exceptional soup, I'd steer clear of lettuce. some veggies have a strong flavor, so you may enjoy using them, but in moderation. For me, parsnips and rutabaga fit this category.

What not to do when making soup? ›

Common mistakes with soups:
  1. Using inferior stock. Most of my soups are based on good stocks usually made at home. ...
  2. Not sautéing onions, celery and garlic before adding. ...
  3. Adding ingredients in the wrong order. ...
  4. Not adding umami. ...
  5. Not garnishing. ...
  6. Not tasting.
Feb 5, 2021

What are 2 principles of soup making? ›

The document provides 5 basic principles of preparing soup: 1) Starting with cold water. 2) Cutting vegetables to an appropriate size. 3) Selecting a protein such as beef, chicken, pork, or fish. 4) Simmering the soup for 4 hours.

What are three qualities of a good soup? ›

A soup's quality is determined by its flavor, appearance and texture. A good soup should be full-flavored, with no off or sour tastes. Flavors from each of the soup's ingre- dients should blend and complement, with no one flavor overpowering another.

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.

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