This cabbage soup recipe slowly caramelizes chopped cabbage in butter and a sprinkle of sugar, then simmers it in a simple chicken broth until it’s sweet, savory, and tender.
Key Takeaways
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Texture: Silky, tender cabbage in a light, golden broth
- Difficulty: Easy
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Why I Love This Recipe
Cabbage soup may not be the prettiest but it is one of the easiest and most budget-friendly soups you can make. There are only 6 ingredients, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen. A head of cabbage is inexpensive, and the long, slow cook turns it into something that tastes like you worked much harder than you did.
This recipe comes from the church cookbook I grew up with. The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it called for more butter than it needed. Sometimes too much of a good thing gets in the way. So I tested it again with just 2 tablespoons of butter, and the cabbage caramelized much more easily. That golden color on the cabbage is where all the flavor in this soup comes from. This soup is SO good. I cannot wait to make it again.
Ingredient Notes
- Cabbage: Plain green cabbage works best. Two pounds is about one small to medium head, so weigh it in the produce section if you can. You can also use two 1-pound bags of coleslaw mix. It’s cut thinner and will brown faster, so keep an eye on it. I prefer to make this with fresh cabbage.
- Salted butter: Adds richness and helps the cabbage brown. If you only have unsalted butter, use it and taste for salt at the end.
- Sugar: Just 1 tablespoon. It doesn’t make the soup sweet. It helps the cabbage caramelize faster and more evenly. You can leave it out, but the browning will take longer.
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base: To use boxed or canned broth instead, swap the bouillon and water for 7 cups of chicken broth. Use vegetable base or vegetable broth for a meatless soup.
- Water: Plain tap water is fine since the bouillon provides the flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Bouillon is already salty, so taste the soup near the end of simmering before adding more.
How to Prep the Cabbage
Chopping the cabbage is the only real prep in this recipe, and it takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Clean it. Pull off any wilted or damaged outer leaves and rinse the head under cool water.
- Quarter it. Set the cabbage on a cutting board and cut it in half through the core, then cut each half in half again.
- Remove the core. Cut the hard, white core out of each quarter at an angle and discard it.
- Slice and chop. Lay each quarter flat and slice it into thin strips. Then chop the strips into bite-size pieces.
It will look like a lot of cabbage, but it cooks down by more than half.
Step by Step How to Make
Step 1: Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cabbage and stir until it’s coated in butter. Sprinkle the sugar over the cabbage.
Step 2: Turn the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, until the cabbage is golden and reduced by at least half. Don’t let it burn. This picture shows the cabbage as it just starts the browning process.
Step 3: Stir in the bouillon, water, salt, and pepper, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve warm.
My Recipe Tips:
- Low and slow is the key. High heat will burn the cabbage before it caramelizes, and burnt bits taste bitter. Stoves vary, so watch the cabbage more than the clock.
- Don’t skip the scrape. Loosening the browned bits after adding the water flavors the broth.
- Don’t use too much butter. More butter makes the cabbage turn greasy instead of browning.
- Make it heartier. Stir in sliced smoked sausage or kielbasa, diced cooked potatoes, or cooked egg noodles during the last 30 minutes.
- It’s even better the next day. The flavors keep blending as it sits.
- Storage: Cool the soup and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove over medium heat.
FAQ
The cabbage probably browned too dark or scorched on the bottom of the pot. Keep the heat low while caramelizing, stir every 5 minutes, and add a splash of water if it starts to stick.
Yes. Use 2 pounds. It’s cut finer and may include some carrots, so it will caramelize faster. I prefer fresh cut cabbage for this recipe, but bagged coleslaw is a shortcut.
Caramelize the cabbage on the stove first, since a slow cooker can’t brown it. Then add it to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Yes. The sugar just speeds up the browning. Without it, plan for the caramelizing step to take a bit longer.
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Cabbage Soup
Equipment
- 5 quart stockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green cabbage finely chopped (about 1 small to medium head)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 7 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter. In a 5-quart or larger heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Coat the cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage and stir until it's coated with butter. Sprinkle the sugar over the cabbage and stir. Turn the heat down to low. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. The cabbage is ready when it's golden to light brown, soft, reduced by at least half, and smells sweet.
- Add the broth ingredients. Stir in the bouillon, water, salt, and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Simmer. Cover the pot and simmer on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You want small, gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil.
- Taste and serve. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.
Notes
- Swap the bouillon and water for 7 cups of chicken broth if you prefer.
- The cabbage is ready to add the broth when it’s golden to light brown, soft, reduced by at least half, and smells sweet. If it’s browning too fast or sticking, add a tablespoon of water and scrape the bottom. If it hasn’t started to color after 20 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-low.
- Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
