This Healthy Cabbage Soup recipe is packed full of antioxidants. It’s a nutrient-rich meal that’s perfect for a clean eating diet!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Green cabbage – any colour cabbage like red or purple cabbage will work.
- Celery stalks – try using chopped fennel instead.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also work.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Italian seasoning – make your own using a blend of oregano, basil and thyme.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Can diced tomatoes – you could also use a can of crushed tomatoes.
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth can be used instead.
- Frozen vegetables – use any frozen vegetable blend of your choice. I used a blend of carrots, corn, peas and beans.
- Parsley – chervil will provide a similar flavour or you can leave this off altogether.
How to make cabbage soup
Step 1: Sauté the veggies.
Sauté the cabbage, celery and onion, stirring often.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients.
Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the parsley.
Step 3: Simmer the soup.
Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Stir in the parsley then serve.
Variations of cabbage soup
You can customize this healthy cabbage soup to your liking. Here are some different variations you can try:
- Veggies: Add in any vegetables of your choice like bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, carrots, peas, corn and more.
- Protein: Up the protein content of this soup with some shredded chicken, turkey meatballs, baked chicken breast or pulled pork.
- Carbs: If you want this soup to be heartier, add in some chopped potatoes before simmering, or stir in some cooked rice or farro.
- Spices: For a bit of spice, add some red chili flakes, cayenne or even hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
When I make this diet cabbage soup recipe, I use one head of green cabbage, although I think red/purple cabbage would bring an extra pop of color to the soup. Even Napa cabbage would be delicious with this recipe!
If you want this soup to be even thicker, stir in some tomato paste along with the rest of the ingredients. You can also stir in a cornstarch slurry or a potato starch slurry, then lit the soup simmer so it gets nice and thick.
Yes! If you want to up the protein content of your cabbage soup, add in some shredded chicken, turkey meatballs, baked chicken breast or pulled pork.
This soup is a great light lunch idea, but if you're looking for side dish ideas, you can't go wrong with some crusty bread, a grilled cheese sandwich or chicken caesar wraps.
Storing and reheating
If you want to make this cabbage soup recipe to enjoy later, let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. You could also reheat the entire batch in a pot on the stovetop.
Can you freeze cabbage soup?
To prepare this healthy cabbage soup as a freezer meal, transfer the cool soup to a freezer-safe container or in freezer bags. You can also add the leftovers to small glass bowls to make individual servings.
It will keep well in the freezer for up to 4 months. If in bowls, you can defrost and reheat right in the microwave up to 7 to 8 minutes, stirring partway through. You can also defrost it in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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More healthy soup recipes
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Healthy Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 head green cabbage, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, mined
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1 (796mL) can diced tomatoes in their juices
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (750g) bag mixed frozen vegetables
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large 6 or 8qt pot/Dutch oven, then add cabbage, celery and onion, sauteeing for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add remaining ingredients, except for parsley, bringing to a boil and simmering for 20 minutes and stirring occasionally.
- Once soup is finished, stir in parsley (optional), then serve and enjoy!
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