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
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This Cabbage, Sausage and Potato Soup recipe is nice and hearty and comforting, it’s full of the best savory flavors, and it’s guaranteed to warm you right up!
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
*Feel free to use traditional kielbasa sausage, or any kind of smoked pork, chicken, turkey, or vegan sausage that you’d like. (Bratwurst also works!)
**If making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to double-check that your sausage is certified GF.
Good, but not exceptional. A tablespoon of Italian seasoning was a little heavy. I will try other recipes that include tomato, mushrooms and beef broth rather than chicken to see if I like it better.
Oh, my goodness! this was my mother’s go-to soup when we were growing up! I am so happy to see it here. She used water rather than broth for it though. It gave it a nice, clean flavor, but still very good…this is a real flavor of childhood! and now that we are facing October and colder weather, I am looking forward to making it again…I’ll use your recipe! I am doing your Italian lentil soup recipe for a group of fellow Third Order Franciscans who are meeting for a a retreat this coming weekend…am going to add a handful of pasta shells at the end…
thank you for your site….Victoria
Sounds delicious!! And yay, hope you enjoyed the lentil soup!
This soup was delicious! The whole family loved it. Definitely going to be a go to dish!
Wonderful!!
I made this on the weekend. My spousal unit loved it. I took some to knitting group and shared it. Both shop owners asked for the recipe. Shared some with a friend who works at my favorite local restaurant. She wants the recipe. My SU asked me to make it again tonight. Two things: we had no leeks, so I used plain old white onion. Worked fine. When it’s really winter (instead of the 90 degrees we are having right now in northern lower Michigan), I might add a can of white beans to this. This is definitely a “keeper” recipe!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! And onion is a terrific substitute. :) Stay warm up there!
This soup is delicious, filling, and easy to make. I had mushrooms on hand and an army to feed, (7 adults) so I added mushrooms. I added red pepper flakes for a little bit more zing. We had a little left for lunch tomorrow.
I recommend this soup! It’s inexpensive to make, as well as fast.
Oooh, mushrooms and red pepper flakes sound delicious. So happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
Soup tasted great ! Never had cooked with leeks , but they have the soup a fresh taste. I also added a dollop of sour cream when I served it, went well together. Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
i made it at home ,it was awesome,
Thank you Ali , keep it up.
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Just made this delicious soup! I made a few adjustments due to what was available at the farmers market and my pantry. :) I used beef broth, skipped the celery and doubled the carrots. Came out great! Thank you!
Awesome, sounds great!!
Ali, I made this tonight. So good! It’s now on our regular rotation. Thanks!
Yay, so happy to hear it! :)
Simmering on the stove now, but I snuck a little taste!! So GOOD! Im going to try freezing a portion to see how it does.
Yay!! And yep, it should freeze well! :)