Classic Cabbage Soup

Name: Classic Cabbage Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste; 1 small head (about 1¾ lb) (800 g) green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (about 8 cups); 1 can (14.5 oz) (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste (4 g) kosher salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed, plus more to taste; ¼ cup (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A light, savory vegetable soup built on tender green cabbage, sweet carrots, celery and tomatoes in a garlicky, herb-scented broth. Simple, budget-friendly and even better the next day.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: About 9 cups (2.1 liters), 6 bowls of about 1½ cups (355 ml) each

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
1 small head (about 1¾ lb) (800 g) green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (about 8 cups)
1 can (14.5 oz) (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon, plus more to taste (4 g) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed, plus more to taste
¼ cup (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (4)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with lid
Large chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Have all vegetables chopped before you turn on the heat; the first steps move quickly.
Choose a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) pot; the raw cabbage fills it before it wilts.
Use low-sodium broth if you can, so you control the final salt level.
Plan on about 70 minutes total: roughly 20 minutes of chopping, then about 50 minutes on the stove.
If you plan to store leftovers, hold back the lemon juice and parsley and add them when you reheat.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Dice the onion, carrots and celery into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Mince the garlic.
- Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core, and cut the leaves into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Keep the cabbage in a separate bowl; you should have about 8 cups.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Vegetables are in even ½-inch pieces and the cabbage is in roughly 1-inch pieces.
Tip: Cut the vegetables to a similar size so they finish cooking together.
2
Sauté the aromatics
- Set a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- When it shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery with the 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, with no browning; carrots are slightly tender at the edges.
Tip: Salting now draws out moisture and helps the vegetables soften without browning.
3
Bloom garlic and paste
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme and smoked paprika.
- Stir constantly for 1½ minutes so the paste coats the vegetables and darkens slightly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Paste turns brick red and smells sweet and toasty; garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Tip: If anything sticks to the bottom, lower the heat and add a splash of broth.
4
Add the cabbage
- Add the chopped cabbage in two handfuls, stirring after each addition.
- Cook for 4 minutes total, stirring often, until it begins to wilt and shrink so everything fits comfortably in the pot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cabbage has reduced by about a third and looks glossy and bright.
5
Pour in liquids
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the vegetable broth, bay leaves and black pepper.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Large bubbles break across the whole surface.
6
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cabbage is silky and tender, and a carrot piece is easily pierced with a fork with no resistance.
Tip: Don't boil hard; it makes the cabbage sulfurous and mushy.
7
Season and finish
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then taste.
- Add more salt a pinch at a time, and more lemon juice if the flavor seems flat.
- If you are saving leftovers, add the lemon only to the portion you are serving now and add it to the rest when you reheat.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup tastes bright, savory and balanced, with the tomato's acidity softened.
Tip: Acid added at the end tastes fresher than acid simmered for a long time.
8
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.

Good to know

Tips

Cut the cabbage into pieces of a similar size so they cook evenly and fit on a spoon.
For a heartier meal, add one drained 15-oz (425 g) can of white beans during the last 10 minutes of simmering; this adds about 1 cup to the yield.
Always season in layers: salt early with the vegetables, then adjust at the end, and again after reheating leftovers.
A parmesan rind added with the broth gives savory depth (remove it with the bay leaves). This is an exception to the vegan and dairy-free labels, which apply only to the base recipe.

Make ahead

"Make the soup through simmering and discarding the bay leaves up to 4 days ahead. Cool, and refrigerate without the lemon juice and parsley. Reheat, then stir in the lemon juice, taste, and adjust salt and lemon again, since flavors change after storage. Add the parsley at serving."

Storage & reheating

"Cool completely within 2 hours. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months (leave 1 inch / 2.5 cm of headspace). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), 8–10 minutes. Not recommended at room temperature."

Substitutions

low-sodium vegetable broth → low-sodium chicken broth. Gives a richer flavor but makes the soup non-vegetarian and non-vegan.
green cabbage → Savoy cabbage. More tender; reduce the simmer time by about 5 minutes.
lemon juice → apple cider vinegar. Use 2 teaspoons (10 ml) in place of 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
smoked paprika → sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne. Use if you don't have smoked paprika; the soup will be less smoky.