I really do love how quick and simple this Cabbage Soup Recipe is! It doesn’t take much effort and it’s healthy and delicious!
Because I like to use as many natural ingredients as possible, the soup is made with water vs. store-bought stock. The natural ingredients that are added to the water base give so much natural flavor, that there is no need for extra unnecessary additives that the store-bought stock usually contains. The soup turns out flavorful as it is.
The simple main ingredients:

- Cabbage: the essence of the soup!
- Potatoes: adds heartiness.
- Onion and garlic: for some added aroma
- Carrot: Many don’t like cooked carrot pieces. I prefer to grate the carrot versus slicing it.
- Bell peppers: these are optional but definitely recommended. I like to use different colored bell peppers for some additional color in the soup.
- Garlic: I like to use 1 garlic clove when sauteing onions and carrot and then add another garlic clove right at the end of cooking. This adds more flavor and a little spice to the soup.
- Fresh dill or green onion: to garnish (optional)
Other optional ingredients:
- Celery: sauté the celery when sautéing the onion and carrot
- Cauliflower: add the cauliflower when adding the potatoes and cabbage
- Corn or mixed frozen vegetables: I sometimes like to add 1 cup of frozen corn or frozen mixed vegetables right into the soup. You can add them right before pouring in boiling water.
- Chicken: for the non-vegetarian version of the soup I like to add chicken breast or chicken thighs. About 2 chicken breasts, or 5-6 chicken thighs. Cook the chicken in a separate pot until fully cooked, shred the chicken and then add it to the soup when adding potatoes and cabbage.
- Bacon bits: again, for the non-vegetarians! I purchase bacon bits at the store; saves time in having to fry up the bacon 🙂 I find that adding a handful of the bacon bits adds a little more richness to the soup. Careful with the salt though, because the bacon bits do add more salt. If you are using bacon, you may need to add 2 teaspoons of salt instead of one tablespoon and then add salt to taste at the end, if required.

How to prepare this Simple Cabbage Soup Recipe:
- Prepare the Ingredients: peel and cube the potatoes, chop the cabbage, finely chop onion, peel and grate the carrot, mince the garlic, dice the bells peppers.
- Sauté: heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and sauté the diced onion, 1/2 of the minced garlic, and grated carrot, stirring occasionally until softened (about 3 minutes). Add the diced bell peppers. Stir well to combine all flavors and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and cabbage and pour in the boiled water. Season with the salt, ground black pepper, and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, if using.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook (with lid not covering the pot completely) for approximately 30 minutes and once the potatoes are tender. Add the remaining 1/2 of the minced garlic and stir well (this will add a little more spice to the soup, so this step is optional)
- The finishing touches: Add more salt to taste. Stir well and remove from heat. Garnish with a little chopped green onion or some chopped dill after pouring soup into a soup bowl when serving. Serve warm.

Can I freeze the soup?
You can absolutely freeze this soup. Let it cool down and place the soup in a freezer-friendly container. You can freeze it for up to a couple of months. To thaw, simply place the frozen container in the refrigerator until defrosted (usually within 1 to 2 days) and then reheat in a soup pot.
For more on this, I love this Freezing Soup Guide by food52.com. It’s got all the information you may need on this topic.
Try our other favorite soups:
More soup recipes to come!

Simple Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Simple Cabbage Soup Recipe takes just about 30 minutes to make and doesn’t take much effort! Turns out healthy and yummy too!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 green cabbage head, chopped
- 10 cups water – you can use tap water, or I like to boil the water in the kettle while my vegetables are cooking to save time
- 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: peel and cube the potatoes, chop the cabbage, finely chop the onion, peel and grate the carrot, mince the garlic, and dice the bell peppers.
- Sauté: heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and sauté the diced onion, 1/2 of the minced garlic, and grated carrot, stirring occasionally until softened (about 3 minutes). Add the diced bell peppers. Stir well to combine all flavors and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes and cabbage and pour in the boiled water. Season with the salt, ground black pepper, and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, if using.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook (with the lid not covering the pot completely) for approximately 30 minutes and once the potatoes are tender. Add the remaining 1/2 of the minced garlic and stir well (this will add a little more spice to the soup, so this step is optional)
- The finishing touches: Add more salt to taste. Stir well and remove from heat. Garnish with a little chopped green onion or some chopped dill after pouring soup into a soup bowl when serving. Serve warm.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Other optional ingredients:
- Celery: saute the celery when sauteing the onion and carrot
- Cauliflower: add the cauliflower when adding the potatoes and cabbage
- Corn or mixed frozen vegetables: I sometimes like to add 1 cup of frozen corn or frozen mixed vegetables right into the soup. You can add them right before pouring in the boiling water.
- Chicken: for the non-vegetarian version of the soup I like to add chicken breast or chicken thighs. About 2 chicken breasts, or 5-6 chicken thighs. Cook the chicken in a separate pot until fully cooked, shred the chicken and then add it to the soup when adding potatoes and cabbage.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cabbage soup, simple ingredient soup recipe