This tasty Cabbage Soup Recipe is made with ground beef, ground pork sausage, cabbage, onions, garlic, carrots, and fire-roasted tomatoes in a delicious beefy tomato broth. It is perfectly seasoned with marjoram, thyme, and paprika. It comes together quickly and easily, so you can enjoy this healthy and hearty soup anytime.
Soul Warming Cabbage Soup
Looking for a quick, healthy, and tasty meal option? This cabbage soup recipe is the perfect choice! Packed with nutrients and flavor, it’s a simple dish that will please the whole family. This hearty cabbage soup recipe combines browned ground beef and sausage, garden vegetables, and a perfect blend of spices. This will quickly become your favorite soup. If your family loves cabbage like mine, try my fried cabbage, cabbage and sausage, and haluski.
Cabbage Soup Ingredients
Start with a base of ground beef and pork sausage, followed by onions and garlic, and spices like marjoram, thyme, paprika, and bay leaves. Then add beef broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, carrots, cabbage, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley or basil.
How to make Cabbage Soup
Start by browning the ground beef and sausage over medium-high heat in a large Dutch Oven or pot. About halfway through the browning process, add the onions. Then, cook until the onions are soft and the meat is browned. Now reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, marjoram, thyme, paprika, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Then add the beef broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, carrots, cabbage, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs.
Recipe Tips
- You can substitute ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork sausage, ground turkey, Polish polska kielbasa, or Italian sausage.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots and let that beautiful orange color shine through.
- You can substitute oregano for the marjoram, but if you have never cooked with marjoram, you really should treat yourself. With a woodsy citrus aroma, Marjoram is less pungent, milder, and sweeter.
- Chop your vegetables fairly small so that you can enjoy a variety of flavors in every spoonful.
- Go light on the salt, as the beef broth and tomatoes are already salty.
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe container or heavy-duty zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power.
What to Serve with Cabbage Soup?
This is a hearty meal in itself, but if company is coming or if you are feeding a crowd, there are several options.
- Homemade Biscuits
- Simple Garden Salad
- Cornbread
- Pretzel Rolls
- Brussels Sprout Salad
- French Baguettes
- Arugula Salad
Can I Freeze Cabbage Soup?
Start by cooling the soup. For a quick and immediate cooldown, place the pot in an ice bath and stir to chill. However, do not submerge or allow any ice water into the soup pot.
Ladle the fully-cooled soup into quart or gallon-size freezer zipper bags, depending on how much you want to eat at a time. Be sure to mark the bags with the date and the contents. Remember that liquids expand when frozen, so leave about an inch at the top of the bag for expansion. On the other hand, you don’t want it to get freezer-burnt, so remove any excess air.
Lay the soup bags on cookie sheets in a single layer and place them in the freezer. Once fully frozen, stack the bags in the freezer to save on space.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat on the stovetop on low or in the microwave at reduced power so as not to overcook any ingredients.
Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground sausage see notes
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 4-5 cups chopped cabbage
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and sausage over medium heat in a large Dutch Oven or heavy stock pot. About halfway through the browning process, add the onions. Cook until the onions are soft and the meat is browned.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, marjoram, thyme, paprika, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the beef broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, carrots, cabbage, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until the carrots and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, or fresh basil.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork sausage, ground turkey, Polish polska kielbasa, or Italian sausage.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots and let that beautiful orange color shine through.
- You can substitute oregano for the marjoram, but if you have never cooked with marjoram, you really should treat yourself. Marjoram is less pungent, milder, and sweeter, with a woodsy citrus aroma.
- Chop your vegetables fairly small so that you can enjoy a variety of flavors in every spoonful.
- Go light on the salt, as the beef broth and tomatoes are already salty.
Nutrition
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Dina and Bruce
Beth,
Wow. Such a soul warming soup. We used chicken sausage and ground chicken. This was so good.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Dina and Bruce! So glad that you liked the cabbage souop!
MacKenzie
I made this for tonight. It’s the perfect after the holidays soup.
Erica
This was amazing! I made only 2 minor changes. Instead of crushed pepper flake as a garnish, I added 1/4 tsp (to a doubled batch). I also added a cup of rice, because to me stuffed cabbage rolls have rice. It was 1000% amazing, and I don’t really think my adjustments changed your flavor profile. Thanks for this! It’s getting added to my annual Soupapalooza festival!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Erica! So glad that you enjoyed the soup. That soupapalozza festival sounds like a blast.
Natalie
Such a healthy warming soup. My husband enjoyed this soup very much. Thanks for the recipe.
Dannii
This looks like such a delicious and hearty soup. Budget friendly too!
Katherine
There’s so much flavor in this cabbage soup! Yum!
Ieva
Brilliant soup! Filling and soul-warming on a cold evening! We actually packed some of it in a food thermos and took it with us on a hike in the mountains. It was an amazing lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Ieva! So happy that you like it!
Anita
Such a delicious and hearty soup. I love making a big batch and freeze individual servings for easy homemade frozen meals.
Beth Pierce
Yes such a great tip for delicious comfort food on busy nights.
Cathy
This soup has the best flavor!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Cathy! So glad that you like it!
Molly
This has quickly become a family favorite!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Cathy! So glad that they like it!
Sandra
Such a perfect comfort food for cold nights! Everyone at my house loved this meal!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sandra! So glad that they liked it!
Catalina
This cabbage soup is so rich and delicious! I can’t resist it!
Krystle
We love this soup. Filling and super healthy too.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Krystle! So glad that you like it.
Erin
This Cabbage Soup sounds healthy! I want to dive into my screen!
Amanda
This soup is perfect for chilly nights. So much flavor!
Erik
So comforting on these cold winter nights. Thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!