A thick and hearty sausage, potato, and cabbage soup; a healthy recipe that is packed with flavorful ingredients!
Growing up my dad went through a phase where he wanted us kids to eat cabbage in some form every single day. He’d read something about the health benefits of cabbage and I’m certain he thought he could prevent us ever getting sick if we ate it constantly.
So he really did prepare cabbage in just about every way imaginable. We complained a lot at first, but over time we eventually got used to the taste.
The first time we ever ate cabbage willingly was in a soup very similar to this. One packed with veggies, red potatoes, ground beef, and Italian seasonings. His cabbage and red potato soup was a major hit with my family and I have actually been a cabbage fan ever since!
How do you make this Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup?
- Start by prepping all of the veggies you’ll add to this soup. There are quite a bit of veggies that get a coarse chop: celery, carrots, onion, red potatoes, and cabbage. If you want to cut down on prep time find a pre-chopped mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onion) in the produce section of your local grocery store.
- Next, cook the sausage in a little bit of olive oil. I use turkey sausage to make this soup healthier but it’s okay to use other types to your liking. I slice the sausage in rounds, but chopping it up into smaller pieces is a great option too. Once the sausage is cooked, remove it to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb some of that excess oil.
- Now it’s time to add in all those veggies you chopped. I use a little bit of oil + butter to saute the veggies in. Start with the onion, carrot, and celery. Once those are cooked down a bit add in some garlic. Lastly it’s time to add the cabbage. It’s going to feel like you’re adding way too much cabbage to the dish, but it cooks down a lot and it really is the base ingredient in the soup. I also add in some tomatoes — we love getting fire-roasted tomatoes from the grocery store because there is so much more flavor. Add in the seasonings, potatoes, the sausage you cooked earlier, and finally the stock.
- And now it’s hands-off for a bit! While that soup is simmering you can make some easy sides to go along with the soup. Our favorites: this salad and some crusty sourdough bread!
More Delicious Soup Recipes:
Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup
This hearty Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup is loaded with savory sausage, tender potatoes, and soft cabbage in a deliciously seasoned broth. It’s both healthy and full of flavor!
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 13 ounces smoked sausage
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 of a small yellow onion 3/4 cup, diced
- 2 stalks celery 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots 1 cup, peeled and diced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3/4 of a small green cabbage cut into bite-sized pieces, 8 cups
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 pound unpeeled baby red potatoes, 3 cups, diced
- 5 to 7 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh thyme optional
- Hearty sourdough bread for serving
Instructions
- Warm up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-heat. Once oil is shimmering, add sausage (see note 1). Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned. Transfer sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cover with foil and set aside. If there is extra oil left in the pot, drain all but 1 tablespoon. If there’s no oil, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter.
- Add diced onion, chopped carrots and sliced celery to the pot. Sauté over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, then add minced garlic. Sauté another minute, then add chopped cabbage. Stir to combine and ensure the bottom veggies aren’t getting burned. Cook another few minutes until cabbage cooks down a bit, stirring frequently. Add paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper (add to preference, I add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stock has a good amount of salt in it).
- Add potatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes (undrained), stock (I start with 5 cups and add to just cover everything, up to 7 cups), bay leaf, and cooked sausage. Stir to combine. Cook until soup reaches a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 15–20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed (any additional salt/pepper).
- Serve with some hearty bread and fresh thyme as desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: You can slice the sausage into rounds like in my pictures, or chop it into smaller pieces if you want a higher sausage-to-soup ratio.
Storage: Cool the soup, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.3g | Protein: 17.9g | Fat: 27.4g | Cholesterol: 50.1mg | Sodium: 1080.4mg | Fiber: 6.2g | Sugar: 13.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It is a damp very cool 45 degrees and I have a
small cabbage and this sounds like a wonderful
dish to serve with garlic bread, yum!!!!
I’ve been on a cabbage kick the past few months. This was very good. Next time I’ll try it with chicken stock rather than beef. (I use Better than Bouillon.) Also will try the fire-roasted tomatoes. I only had petite diced on hand.
Ooh that sounds awesome! Enjoy! 🙂
How much is a serving of soup? 1 cup, 1 bowl?
The entire soup divided into 8 equal parts if you are following the nutrition label 🙂
you didn’t mention how long to cook potatoes and when to add, don’t they need to cook or did you add them to carrots ect..?
Step 3 says to add the potatoes. You’ll add them raw and they’ll cook as the soup simmers. Enjoy!
Easy recipe to put together and smells great!!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the comment Dee 🙂
In the recipe you say, “Cook for another few minutes until the cabbage cooks down just a bit stirring frequently,” but you had never said when to add the cabbage. Did you add it with the onion, celery, and carrots?
Sorry for the confusion Kathie! I updated the recipe to be more clear 🙂
Not a big tomato fan. Can you use tomato paste or sauce instead for the flavor?
Sure! I’d use 8 ounces tomato sauce and a bit extra broth. Enjoy!
Can you cook the cabbage, sausage and potato soup in a crock pot?
I haven’t personally tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would be okay (a bit mushier than stovetop though!)
My husband makes homemade andouille, I found this recipe after a stellar cabbage crop this year. Very tasty.
Thank you Jean! 🙂
This soup looks like the perfect dish right now, it is snowin and blowin. Beautiful picture.
I reduced the stock in half and cooked in my electric pressure cooker for 10 minutes on high. Served over a bed of egg noodles. Awesome dinner.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing how you did it in the pressure cooker 🙂
hey girl- this soup looks so good! Y’all have a great weekend!
This sounds super delicious! My dad too felt cabbage was an essential part in our diet, and my mother used it in many of her dishes. I need to try this recipe – thank you!