Red Cabbage Soup

Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: This red cabbage soup is as easy as prepping the vegetables, adding everything to a pot and letting it simmer. It's definitely weeknight friendly!
• Lots of vegetables: We're talking onion, garlic, celery, carrot, cabbage and potatoes! And if you so desire, you can add in even more vegetables – this soup works well with just about anything.
• Vegan friendly: This red cabbage soup is naturally vegan, with no added dairy or meat. It's a great option for everyone, no matter your dietary preferences!
• Great way to use up cabbage: Have you ever bought a massive head of cabbage only to use ⅛ of it in a recipe? Yep, same. This red cabbage soup is a great way to use up the rest. (And yes, you can also use green cabbage if that's what you have on hand!)

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this red cabbage soup:

Ingredient Notes

• Cabbage: We're using red (or purple, as some say) cabbage in this soup. You can also use green cabbage. Be sure to slice the cabbage into thin strips that are no longer than 2 inches. If the strips are too long, they'll be pretty hard to eat with a spoon!
• Potatoes: We used yukon gold (or yellow) potatoes, which hold their shape nicely and have a buttery flavor and fluffy texture. You can also use russet potatoes, fingerlings, or baby potatoes.
• Dill: You can also use parsley if preferred.
• Beans: We use navy beans, as they tend not to fall apart quite as much as other white beans. You can also use cannellini beans, great northern beans, lima beans or even chickpeas.
• Vinegar: A small amount balances the acidity of this soup. We used apple cider vinegar, but you can also use white wine vinegar.
• Dijon mustard: Mustard pairs very well with cabbage – the sharp flavor helps tame the bitterness of the vegetable. Be sure to use dijon, not yellow mustard (like you would use on a hot dog).
• Flour: A small amount of all purpose flour helps slightly thicken this soup without having to add heavy cream. You can use regular all purpose or gluten free all purpose flour.

Instructions

(1) Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

(2) Add in cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery, dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

Reserve ¼ cup of the vegetable broth and set aside. 

(3) Add the remaining vegetable broth to the pot with the apple cider vinegar. Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

(4) In a small bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup of vegetable broth with the flour until smooth. Add to the soup and stir well.

(5) Add the navy beans and dill and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the soup is slightly thickened. Serve warm.

Tips and FAQs

• Add a protein: For an even more filling red cabbage soup, feel free to add in a protein of your choice. Shredded chicken or sausage would be great options, or to keep it vegan, try our poultry seasoned tofu in this recipe.
• Storage: let soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Freezer storage: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat over medium in a saucepan.
• Make it gluten free: Simply swap regular all purpose flour with a gluten free alternative.
• Serve with:
  • Italian chopped salad
  • Vegan garlic bread
  • Apple pecan salad with balsamic vinaigrette
  • Vegan cornbread

More Soup Recipes to Enjoy

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