The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2024)

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The best Cabbage Soup recipe is packed with unexpected flavors (hello, pickle juice!) and will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl. This healthy soup recipe is the ultimate cozy winter dinner idea.

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (1)

My first long-term boyfriend was a Ukrainian I met in college. I took classes in Russian, visited his family in Ukraine, and learned some of his best secrets in the kitchen.

While the relationship eventually ended, his recipe for The Best Cabbage Soup lives on.

Yes, I know some of the ingredients like pickle juice sound odd, but trust me; this easy soup recipe is mind-blowingly good.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Cabbage Soup Recipe

Recipe ingredients

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2)

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Beef broth: Or substitute chicken broth. You can opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
  • Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
  • Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering.Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (3)
  1. Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 tsp dill. Bring to a boil.Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (4)
  1. Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice.Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (5)

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: This soup can be made up to 3 days in advance. Or, get a jump-start on prep by peeling and chopping all the vegetables and store covered in the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: Transfer to freezer-safe containers (I love glass mason jars), leaving 1/2-inch headspace, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Whole30 Compatible: Cabbage Soup is already Whole30 Compatible, so just omit the sour cream for serving and you’re good to go.
  • More veggies: Customize your vegetable blend based on what you love and what’s in your crisper drawer. Cubed potatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and diced tomatoes would all be delicious in this soup.
  • Herbs and spices: If you don’t love the dill flavor, omit the fresh dill and pickle juice and choose herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, and fresh parsley. For a little heat, add a tbsp of red pepper flakes.
  • Make it meaty: Since this recipe is originally from the Ukraine, it would be completely appropriate to make cabbage soup with kielbasa or Polish sausage. Simply brown the sausages in advance, then add the links to the soup to simmer with the vegetables. Remove the whole sausages just before serving to slice and add back into the soup. Other tasty protein options: browned ground beef (for a cabbage roll-inspired rendition), ground turkey, cooked bacon, ham hock or ham bone, or shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken.
  • Crockpot: Transfer the finished soup to a slow cooker for buffet and party service. Serve sour cream, plenty of dark, hearty bread, and fresh dill on the side.
The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cut cabbage?

1. Remove any damaged or browned outer leaves and rinse under cold water.
2. Place the head of cabbage on a cutting board or clean work surface with the stem side down.
3. Locate the stem of the cabbage. With a chef’s knife, cut in half lengthwise, all the way through the core.
4. If making shredded cabbage, remove the triangular core by cutting into the core at an angle where the stem meets the leaves of the cabbage, and remove it from each half.
5. Place the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board. Starting at the end opposite the stem, cut crosswise from top to bottom into thin slices.

What is cabbage soup good for?

Cabbage soup is an easy, delicious way to eat more vegetables. A bowl of hot hearty cabbage soup is perfectly contrasted by garnishes of cold sour cream and sour pickle juice. It’s perfection.

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The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (11)

Cabbage Soup

By Meggan Hill

The best Cabbage Soup recipe is packed with unexpected flavors (hello, pickle juice!) and will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl. This healthy soup recipe is the ultimate cozy winter dinner idea.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 4 servings

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Russian

Calories 195

5 from 53 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

  • Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dill. Bring to a boil.Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

  • Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice.Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Beef broth: Or opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
  2. Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
  3. Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 1004mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 5246IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

The Best Cabbage Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does cabbage soup burn belly fat? ›

Does it work for weight loss? The Cabbage Soup Diet has never been studied, so it's impossible to confirm its effectiveness. While it may result in temporary, short-term weight loss, it is unlikely to lead to sustainable weight loss.

How much weight can you lose on the 7 day cabbage soup diet? ›

People who follow the diet strictly will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 pounds per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day. However, in most cases, people quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet.

Is cabbage soup good for you? ›

Cabbage soup is low in calories and can be filling, thanks to the fiber that the veggie provides. Most variations of this diet suggest that people eat this soup two to three times a day, although some variations enable the participants to consume even more of the soup.

Why does my cabbage soup taste so bland? ›

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

How many times a day do you eat cabbage soup to lose weight? ›

Just like the name says, the bulk of this diet is fat-free cabbage soup, eaten two to three times a day with other allowed foods assigned each day.

Is too much cabbage soup bad for you? ›

Negative health effects of the cabbage soup diet

Excess sodium intake – if you make the soup using canned vegetable juice. Inadequate caloric intake – it's likely that you'll suffer from weakness, fatigue, and dizziness, meaning you won't be able to exercise properly for the week.

What is the Dolly Parton diet? ›

You may have heard of something called the Dolly Parton Diet — which consists of eating cabbage soup (yes, cabbage soup!) as your main meals along with fruit and vegetables. It's also known as the TWA Stewardess Diet and, well, the Cabbage Soup Diet.

How to lose 10 pounds in a week? ›

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

What can't you eat on the cabbage soup diet? ›

The cabbage soup diet allows you to eat all of the cabbage soup you like in addition to adding certain foods on specific days throughout the week. No bread, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, including diet sodas.

What are the pros and cons of cabbage soup? ›

The Cabbage Soup Diet

Pros: Lose weight quickly, no portion control needed, I actually really like the taste of the soup. Cons: The soup is not very filling so it's likely you'll feel hunger and it's likely you'll gain the weight back VERY quickly.

How long does cabbage soup last in the fridge? ›

Storing cabbage soup:

To store this soup, let it cool entirely before storing it in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 2 months.

Does cabbage soup cleanse you out? ›

Cabbage has diuretic properties that helps get rid your body of excess liquid and toxins. It helps cleanse your liver and colon. Which is why cabbage forms the base for this detox cabbage soup. You can add veggies or proteins of your choice such as egg, ground chicken, lamb!

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

Why does my stomach hurt after eating cabbage soup? ›

“Additionally, cruciferous vegetables—like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts—contain raffinose, an indigestible sugar. As it's fermented by bacteria in the gut, gas is produced, which is why you may experience flatulence and discomfort after eating these foods.

Can you overcook cabbage in soup? ›

Yes, the cabbage is overcooked when it's very soft or pretty much falling apart in the soup. Just keep simmering until it's translucent and tender with a slight bite.

Is cabbage good for flat tummy? ›

Cabbage is rich in water and fibre, which helps in keeping the intestines healthy. By consuming cabbage, the stomach feels full for a long time. This reduces appetite so that you can avoid overeating. The fibre in cabbage removes constipation and accelerates metabolism, which helps in weight loss.

Which soup is best for belly fat? ›

5 Best Soups That Will Help To Burn Belly Fat
  1. Vegetable soup. Lean protein from chicken combined with a variety of vegetables can make a satisfying and low-calorie soup that can help you feel full and satisfied.
  2. Chicken and vegetable soup. ...
  3. Black bean soup. ...
  4. Lentil soup. ...
  5. Tomato soup.
Nov 4, 2023

Can I lose weight eating cabbage everyday? ›

Vegetables are crucial for weight loss, especially cruciferous vegetables like cabbage. These vegetables are low in calories and fibre-rich, making them a fantastic addition to a weight-loss diet. Cabbage, in particular, is a powerhouse of nutrients that can aid weight loss.

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