This Cabbage, Sausage and Potato Soup recipe is totally hearty and comforting, full of the best savory flavors, easy to make, and it’s guaranteed to warm you right up!
Guys, this soup.
It’s only the middle of September, and I have already made it three times this past month. And when I say three times, keep in mind that I’m now married to a handsome vegetarian who won’t come anywhere near this one. Which means this huge, simmering, delicious pot of soup (plus leftovers) are exclusively for Yours Truly.
And I still can’t get enough of it!
This is probably due in part to the fact that I’m about 30 years late to the party that is cabbage soup. I’m not sure why, but our family never grew up eating it, and for years I used to only think of it only in terms of those crazy fad diets, and never really tried a good bowl until a few years ago. But the second I did — oh man, guys — it was cabbage soup love at first bite. Especially when you add some smoked kielbasa sausage to the picture, and some hearty potatoes, and lots of savory and garlicky seasonings — this feel-good, hearty, savory, delicious soup is comfort food to the max.
I wish I squeeze you all around my table and ladle you up a steaming bowl for yourself right now. But instead, I’m just going to beg you to stir up a pot for yourself. Because this soup = magic. ?
Cabbage Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
And the good news? It’s also incredibly easy to make!
Begin with your starring ingredient — a small head of green cabbage. We’re going to use it all in this pot of soup. And even though it’s going to turn into a small mountain of greens once it has been chopped, don’t worry, because it’ll all wilt down once we add it to the soup.
The second most important ingredient here is a good package of kielbasa sausage. Really, you can use just about any kind of smoked sausage here (or even bratwurst). But I’m partial to kielbasa here with its smoky, garlicky flavors (that usually include caraway, too). You’re welcome to use traditional pork sausage here, or chicken or turkey or vegan sausage. You pick.
Begin by sautéing the sausage for a few minutes in a large stockpot (affiliate link) until it is lightly browned. Then transfer it to a separate plate to save for later.
Sauté the rest of your veggies and all of that cabbage, then add the remaining ingredients and let the soup simmer until those potatoes are nice and tender. Season with salt and pepper (I recommend extra black pepper with this one), and soon enough…
…these delicious bowls of cabbage soup will be yours to serve and enjoy.
Hope you love this one as much as I do, friends!
(This recipe contains affiliate links.)
Cabbage, Sausage and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound kielbasa sausage*, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium leeks, sliced into ⅛ inch rounds, white and pale green parts only
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 small green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 pound red potatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, homemade or store-bought
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Add sausage to a large stockpot and cook over medium-heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a separate plate, and set aside.
- Add the olive oil, leeks, carrots and celery to the pan, and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the cabbage and garlic, and sauté for 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the stock, potatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, cooked sausage, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and tender.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste and season with a few generous pinches of salt and black pepper as needed. (Also, depending on how seasoned your sausage is, feel free to stir in a extra few teaspoons of Italian seasoning if you think it needs some extra flavor. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes will also help bring out the flavors.)
- Serve warm. Or refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Soup was amazing. I was wondering if the nutritional information is listed some place?
I wondered the same thing.
I made this soup but I replaced a things. I used butternut squash instead of potatoes and I used onions instead of leek. THE BOMB!! Thanks for posting.
Delicious! Lots of veggie chopping but not difficult to make at all. I added shrimp and loved it.
Made this yesterday to have for dinner today. I used both sweet potatoes and white potatoes. It was tasty yesterday but today my husband declared it outstanding. Looking forward to my lunches this cold first week of January. Thank you!
Awesome flavor!
I added blacked peas to ring in the New Year with good luck and prosperity ?
Thank you for sharing!!
Nice hearty soup that tastes great on a cold, wintery day. Took me longer than recipe indicated to make it, but it was worth the wait.
Hi Ali. I was wondering how you came up with a 10min. prep time. My wife and I love the soup,but my prep time always passes the 10min mark.It takes me about a half hour both time I have made the soup. I was wondering how you did the prep time to where you have it down to 10min.We have been putting a lot more effort into healthy eating and less time in the kitchen lol!! Let me know what you think,Thanks
This recipe looks so good….something my some-time vegetarian would like. I would like to make it in my Instant Pot. Any suggestions?
I made this and really liked it. I have a question about freezing it. I’ve frozen things with potatoes before
and they come out mushy after thawing-is there a method to use so that won’t happen? Thanks
I freeze stews with potatoes often, and find that the potatoes do break down when re-heating if I stir the pot a lot. I think they are less mushy if you let it totally defrost, and then reheat in the microwave without stirring things around too much. Or you could omit the potatoes and use beans (like great northern beans) for a more freezer friendly option instead.
Made this recipe a few months ago and LOVED it. Brought some to work and all my coworkers complained that my food smelled too good, so I shared the recipe. Will be making again this week. Thank you!