This vegan cabbage soup recipe is filled with vegetables and has a delicious savory broth. It's a great one-pot meal that you can make ahead and eat all week. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day!
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This hearty vegan cabbage soup recipe is easy to make and healthy.
It's not the bland soup I remember when the cabbage soup diet was all the rage, no, this is full of flavor and lot's of healthy vegetables.
Inspired by our Red Cabbage and Green Lentil Soup recipe, it's a great cold weather meal that will fill you up and keep you warm.
Ingredients
Here's a visual of the ingredients and important information you'll need to make the soup.
- Tomatoes - if you need to make vegetarian cabbage soup without tomatoes, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to add more acid.
- Potatoes - we love cabbage soup with potatoes because they add a little starch, but if you don't eat night shades, you can leave them out.
- Kale - kale is a hearty green that stands up while cooking. You can also use collard greens, mustard greens, or dandelion greens. Spinach will also work, but you'll want to add it a few minutes before serving.
How to Make It
Here are visual cues to go with the step by step instructions.
HINT: Use a 5 quart or larger pot to make the soup.
Variations
Spicy - add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to give it some heat.
Rice - add rice to make a hearty vegetarian cabbage and rice soup. Or add pasta.
Creamy - if you want a creamy cabbage soup, use an immersion blender or a standard blender.
High Protein - add white beans or garbanzo beans to give the soup protein.
Oil Free - Omit the oil and sauté the vegetables in water or broth.
Health Benefits of Cabbage
Cabbage is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidants. It's thought to help prevent type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, such as bladder, colon, and prostate cancers.
Cabbage is also a great source of fiber, which is vital to keeping your digestive system healthy.
What to Serve With It
- Homemade Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
- No Yeast Vegan Garlic Flatbread
- Vegan French Croissants
- Vegan Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Recipe FAQs and Tips
This cabbage soup is. It's filled with a variety of healthy vegetables and spices, vegetable broth, and minimal oil.
Yes. This is a great recipe for meal prepping. Make it up to 5 days ahead of time.
Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes. Freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Heat it in a pot on low heat until it's thawed, then increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil before serving.
More Vegan Cabbage Recipes
Vegan Cabbage Soup
Equipment
- 1 5 quart stock pot
- 1 stove
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoon vegetable broth if you don’t cook with oil
- 2 ½ cups onion diced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 cups carrots sliced into thin coins
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups potatoes diced
- 2 ½ cups tomatoes chopped
- 5 cups green cabbage chopped
- 3 cups kale chopped (we used lacinato, aka dinosaur, kale)
- 32 ounce vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil or broth, then add the onions. Stir and cook for approximately 3 minutes, or until they begin to turn translucent and sweat.
- Add the celery and carrots and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth and water, then add the potatoes and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in apple cider vinegar, spices, and salt and pepper, then stir in the cabbage and kale and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Notes
- Tomatoes- if you need to make vegetarian cabbage soup without tomatoes, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to add more acid.
- Potatoes- we love cabbage soup with potatoes because they add a little starch, but if you don't eat night shades, you can leave them out.
- Kale- kale is a hearty green that stands up while cooking. You can also use collard greens, mustard greens, or dandelion greens. Spinach will also work, but you'll want to add it a few minutes before serving.
- Can this be made ahead of time?
- This is a great recipe for meal prepping. Make it up to 5 days ahead of time.
- How do I store it?
- Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Can I freeze this soup?
- Freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Heat it in a pot on low heat until it's thawed, then increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil before serving.
- NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
Nutrition
Cheyenne says
Oh my stars! I would give the a 10/10 ! I added turnips and spinach bc they needed to be used up . I’m so pleased and will definitely be making this again! I have never used caraway before ; I think it’s safe to say they are my new favorite herb !
Linda & Alex says
Thank you, Cheyenne! We're so happy you liked it, especially the caraway. It's so good. 🙂
Deborah says
The soup made for a great dinner. Having a big enough batch for leftovers later in the week was wonderful. The six servings was accurate for us for big dinner sized bowls of soup. The addition of the kale made for a some good variety in texture and flavour. I subbed canned diced tomatoes as I didn't have fresh. I needed a little more spice in mine so I added 1 T of paprika and some ground cayenne.
The only thing I didn't like about the recipe was that the ingredients were not listed in the order they were used.
Linda & Alex says
Thank you, Deborah, we appreciate your feedback and will fix the recipe card.
Kathleen Casey says
This is also such a nice template. I just used it for the vegetables I had, on hand along with the cabbage, potatoes and carrots as the main ones. I loved the caraway seeds too. Thanks for this recipe
Linda & Alex says
You're welcome, Kathleen!
Sue says
I made this recipe last night. It's delish!. The broth is savory and flavorful. I cooked it in my Instant Pot (6 minutes/quick release) and served it with homemade lentil crackers. The recipe makes a big batch. Thank you for providing freezing instructions.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sue! Thank you so much for letting us know. We're so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sheri Mitchell 😀 says
Could you make this in a crockpot?
Thanks!
Sheri
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sheri, You definitely can, but I would saute the onion, celery, and garlic in a pan first for flavor and then transfer to the crockpot.
Jen says
Can you convert this to instant pot instructions?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jen, we're so sorry, but we don't use an Instant Pot, so we can't give instructions.
Melissa says
Saute Veggies per recipe...add spices to sauté process to bloom...once you add liquid/broth...switch to pressure or Manuel and on high for 5 to 10 minutes...checking potatoes for doneness...right before serving hit with the vinegar. Peace and Love!!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Melissa! 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This looks delicious, love the list of healthy and vibrant ingredients. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much!