The Best Easy Cabbage Soup (Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
This low carb cabbage soup recipe comes together in just about a half hour. It’s a flavorful way to warm up on a chilly day – or freeze it for later! It’s vegetarian and gluten-free as written, but you can make it your own by adding meat or beans.
Old Fashioned Cabbage Soup
By now, you all know how much I love soup. It’s literally my favorite. And I do mean literally, none of this literally means figuratively nonsense.
Usually, I like hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup. Chicken and Sweet Potato. Miso Potato. Roasted Tomato with Goat Cheese.
This healthy cabbage soup is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s light and brothy, and chock full of vegetables. On its own, it’s more of a snack than a complete meal.
But there’s beauty in simplicity and this low carb soup is the perfect example of that. It’s deliciously savory and really warm. Exactly the kind of soup you want to sip when you’re snowed in.
I’ve been really into cabbage in soup ever since I developed a cabbage roll soup recipe for my cookbook. It softens up and gets almost noodle-y in texture, which is great if you’re trying to keep your carbs down. It also adds some heft to this soup, making it feel more substantial than it is.
Low Carb Cabbage Soup Ingredients
This beauty of this white cabbage soup recipe is that it’s made with really simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.
Besides cabbage, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Vidalia onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable broth
- Carrots
- Celery
- Canned plum tomatoes
That’s it!
Cabbage Soup Variations
Of course, you can always doctor it up depending on what you’re in the mood for or if you have any other vegetables hanging around the fridge that need to get used up. It’s great with green beans, peas, or even some kale.
You can also add a can of chickpeas or white beans to up the protein and make this a complete meal. Or brown some ground beef along with the onions for a hearty “unstuffed cabbage roll” soup. Cabbage soup with sausage is also fantastic!
Really, the options to adapt this recipe are endless. Have fun with it!
Can cabbage soup be frozen?
Yes, absolutely! Raw cabbage doesn’t freeze well for obvious reasons, but stewed cabbage and cabbage in soups like this one freezes really well. Since it’s already soft, you don’t need to worry about it wilting.
I like to freeze cabbage soup in individual portions. It’s great when I need something for lunch in a pinch!
How to make cabbage soup in the crock pot
This soup is so easy to make on the stovetop that I don’t usually bother pulling out my slow cooker for it. But if you want to cook it that way, you definitely can.
Since the vegetables release a lot of water and no evaporation occurs when you use a crock pot, reduce the broth to 6 cups. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a very brothy soup.
What should I serve with cabbage soup?
If you ask me, no soup is complete without bread and butter. You could also serve it with homemade potato rolls or a grilled cheese sandwich.
It’s also great topped with garlic croutons or crispy chickpeas for a little crunch.
Or keep things low carb by serving it with crispy roasted radishes or rutabaga fries.
Easy Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can 14.5 ounces plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- ½ small head cabbage sliced
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 celery ribs sliced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes, until softened and transparent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth, cabbage, carrots, celery, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the parsley. Adjust seasoning to taste.
