Cabbage Potato Soup Recipe
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A simple Cabbage Potato Soup recipe made with just a handful of humble ingredients, done just right it will surely make you go back for seconds. Not to worry though as cabbage is one of the lowest-calorie foods on the planet. Naturally creamy, hearty and healthy this is minimalism at its finest!
Vegan Cabbage Potato Soup
Soup is probably one of the best uses for cabbage. Besides being warming and comforting, it is also healing and filling especially when combined with potatoes.
I started with a large diced onion (although you could certainly use a leek), and finely shredded green cabbage that I caramelize together in my largest pot until completely wilted and nicely golden round the edges.
A little patience is needed to concentrated the flavors of such rustic basic ingredients before simmering them away with caraway, fresh dill, thyme and tiny dice of golden potatoes.
You want to cook them slowly until the potatoes literally fall apart when pressed against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Help a few of them along at the very end, no need to puree anything though the rustic textures are simply wonderful in this old world European classic.
Serve with lots of fresh chopped onion chives or dill, and if you are as fond of smoky tempeh as we are then remember to pan sear a few strips in a cast iron skillet just before serving. A great source of protein, adds a nice crunch with salty and smoky flavors. A great make ahead recipe that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had a chance to marry in the fridge.
Serving suggestions..
- Homemade Vegan Bread
- Potato Flatbread
- Drizzle with Chive Pesto
- Dinner Rolls
- Pickled Red Onions.
- Vegan Biscuits.
Cabbage Recipes
- Unstuffed Cabbage Stew
- Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup
- Vegan Cabbage White Bean Soup
- Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
- Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage and Noodles
- Sautéed Cabbage and Onions.
Cabbage Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head small green cabbage -finely shredded
- 1 large yellow onion (or 1 leek) -diced
- 1.5 lb golden potatoes -rinsed and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 5 cups vegetable stock -low sodium
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 1/3 cup onion chives -snipped
- 1 drizzle olive oil (or a splash of water for WFPB diet)
- 6 strips smoked tempeh - optional for serving
- sea salt + black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Heat up your largest dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-low flame. Sautee the onion (or leeks) with a drizzle of olive oil or a splash of water and pinch of salt until wilted and starts to get some color (about 10 minutes).1 large yellow onion (or 1 leek), 1 drizzle olive oil (or a splash of water for WFPB diet)
- Add the red pepper flakes and caraways seeds then stir in the shredded cabbage. Sautee together until wilted and caramelized, making sure to stir often adding a splash of water in between If needed to help create some steam. It should be perfect in about 20 minutes. You want to get a nice caramelization all over to create flavor.1 tbsp caraway seeds, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1 head small green cabbage
- Add the diced potatoes, thyme, dill, onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock and liquid smoke then bring to a constant simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and fall part. Remove from heat and discard the thyme sprigs and dill.1.5 lb golden potatoes, 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp onion powder, 8 sprigs thyme, 8 sprigs fresh dill, 1/4 tsp liquid smoke, 5 cups vegetable stock
- Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot. This will make your soup creamy and hearty without need to puree it at all. Taste and adjust seasonings sea salt and black pepper at this point.sea salt + black pepper
- Meanwhile heat up a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and pan sear the tempeh strips until golden brown on both sides. Serve the soup garnished with fresh onion chives, red pepper flakes and crumbled with the pan seared tempeh on top.6 strips smoked tempeh, 1/3 cup onion chives
Notes
- If you like your soup to have a smoky flavor you can add about 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika or a 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke. This is strongly recommended if you are going to skip the smoky tempeh, otherwise it's totally optional.
Nutrition
Cabbage is my new best friend thanks to this soup. It tastes absolutely amazing, it’s comforting and tastes like a slow cooked stew. Best cabbage soup I’ve ever made ever.
THis was delicious! I think it needs the tempeh but with it, we gobbled it up!
Where r the beans listed in ingredients?
Hey Sandy, this recipe is for Cabbage and Potato soup, there are no beans in the recipe unless of course you’d like to add some.
I’m kinda stumped here. It was really bland. Any ideas on how to add more flavor here? It’s currently on my stove simmering and I’ve thought about adding some tomato paste or maybe some more veggies. Not sure where I went wrong!
Hi Kelly, this is meant to be a simple soup and most flavor comes from the caramelization of the cabbage with the onion (or leeks), the toasting of the caraway seeds and whatever veggie stock you end up using. So it’s really important to not skip that step and take your time caramelizing everything. The smoky tempeh is meant to bring it all together with the salty bits but if you are after more of smoky flavor some smoked paprika or liquid smoke would do the trick. I realize most of us are in a rush nowadays and don’t have too much time for caramelization haha, so I edited the recipe to add some onion powder and some nutritional yeast. Let me know if you try it that way next time. If you want more of a tomato based version try this Sweet and Sour Cabbage soup next, it’s really easy and a different flavor profile : https://veggiesociety.com/simple-sweet-and-sour-cabbage-soup-recipe/
This soup is very bland. Too bland for my taste buds. I added soya sauce to give it more flavour. I am bring it to a pot luck so we shall see how it goes but I am guessing I will have lots left!! Oh I did the caramelizing. Thanks.
My wife and I loved this soup as is, no extra seasoning needed. It is also surprising filling! We added some spinach eat the end just because we had some. Thank you!
I’m not sure where the bland comments are coming from! I’m absolutely in love with this soup and I am so picky! This healthy wholesome soup will definitely be added to the list of staples in my home. Thank you!
Love the recipe went down a treat! Was just wondering how long generally can you keep it for in the fridge, I made both the soup and a batch of tempeh on Friday, its now Tuesday, half the tempeh is still in the marinade and the other half is soaking in salty water.. Help a homie out, how long will it all last stay fresh for?
Hey Jesse, you can store this in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Love this soup. I did not add the tempeh and didn’t have caraway seeds. Taking it is a class tasting WFPB comfort foods
This soup was delicious! I am not fond of caraway seeds in bread and so I was nervous about using them in the soup, but I thought, what the heck, every other recipe I have tried that you have created has been amazing. So, I took a leap of faith and added them in and they didn’t overpower the soup at all. They ended up giving it a little smack of unexpected tasty flavor. I did add two cans of Cannellini beans for some protein, to amp up the nutrition, and to bulk it up because I am cooking for two grown men, one who is a flexitarian! Thanks again for another great recipe!
I followed the recipe exactly as instructed, and it turned out excellent. Thanks!
This was a really delicious zuppa! I am not fond caraway seeds so left them out. Also the tempeh because I didn’t have any.
Still it was fantastic. Even my husband who thinks he should eat meat at every meal enjoyed it. I will be making it again.