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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 threetimes 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.
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
Scale
1 pound kielbasa sausage*, sliced into bite-sized pieces
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.
Not my favorite and won’t make it again. I prefer the sausage, potatoes sauteed with onions in a skillet as a main dish. No liquid, just a little oil to brown sausage and potatoes. Serve with corn on the cob and corn muffins. To each his own I guess.
Steven Sweeney —
Why criticize a soup recipe for being soup, instead of sauteed sausage and potatoes with a side of corn? The real gem in this soup is the cabbage. I could eat this for at least one meal a day for a long, long time. We’re about to make a batch for Christmas Eve dinner.
I made this today for my husband and I- he is picky with his soups and stews and LOVED it! We let it simmer for 15 then kept it on the burner on low for about 20 minutes. It was perfect. Thanks for this gem!
Great recipe for the family! The prep time is a whole lot more than 10 minutes, say 60 minutes! Also make sure your Italian seasoning is fresh, ten year old seasoning will not give it any flavor.
This is great tasting soup! My daughter can’t take spicy food at the moment so her husband and I added salt and garlic to our bowls which made it really yummy
So good!!! I prepped the leeks and carrots the night before. If I had more time I would have prepared more of the veggies ahead of time just to make it just that much easier. However, this is super easy to make. I cooked everything right in my giant soup pot. Seriously, so in love with this soup. Served with store bought potato rolls.
It’s a cold day here in Friendswood Texas. I decided to make a pot of this soup, We love it. Served with crackers and cheddar cheese! Thank you for creating a perfect soup.
Birdie —
Hey Kathy I remember that day cause it was cold here in Pearland too and I made Cheeseburger Soup. I also love this Cabbage Soup. You know we don’t have many cold days where we are, so we have to have our soup recipes ready for when the temp drops below 50 outside. lol
I made this a couple of weeks ago and just got back from the grocery store to get all I need to make it again tomorrow. One thing in particular that is great about this soup is that it actually tastes even better on the second or third day. Be sure to make some cornbread or corn muffins with it. It is delicious, especially during cold weather.
This was absolutely delicious – the perfect warming soup for a cold fall night. I was a little afraid I was the only one who would like it (picky eaters who don’t like cabbage or leeks or sausage), but every single person gobbled it up! Thank you!
The temperature outside tonight was in the upper 20’s. I made this tonight hoping it would be a warm, hearty, and filling dinner. It was perfect!! I added about 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper just to spice it up. This was the first of many times that I will make this soup. THank you so much for sharing it!
Looks delicious. Sounds delicious. I”ll bet it even smells delicious! The only thing I might add (in fact, I have) is a can of tomatoes. Just because I”m a big fan!
This is so good! I just made it today, and even my 12 year old said it was great. I added a lot of vegetables, so had to increase the amount of stock. Also used half bone broth, half stock for additional health benefits. Because of the sodium in the sausage and stock, I did not add any extra salt, and don’t think it needs it. Agree that it is better with a bit of heat, I used red pepper flakes. Thanks for this recipe!
Made this hearty warm soup today on a cold a d windy Kentucky day. It smelled delicious and was even better after allowing the soup to cool in the frig to allow the flavors to blend together before reheating our lunch portions ans enjoying.
Very hearty soup! I love how everything works together. I did add sweet sausage, red onion and red cabbage as well. I had to make it my own. Will definitely be making this again.
Made this tonight. My husband and I will thoroughly agree with most everyone else, it’s AWESOME! It was getting late and I had nothing specifically planned for dinner so I wanted to use my Insta-Pot. I may not have needed to pressure cooker it as long but it turned out great! Will definitely be a recipe to add to my binder! Went well with the homemade focaccia bread my husband made. Thank you.
This was so delicious. I cook with a lot of deer meat and used my homemade deer stock for the broth and 1/4 of the sausage it called for. I put the venison in at the last minute. This soup is so delicious! Thanks for a sure thing!
I’ve made this recipe twice, came out beautifully both times. I’m good at soup, but this is by far my favorite and my family loves it too! Can’t say enough!
Some stats from my attempt: The weight of this completed recipe was 125.5 ounces total (or 20.92 ounces per serving). I used “Sabatino’s Paleo Organic Basil & Cracked Black Pepper Smoked Chicken Sausage” for the sausage.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 311
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g 21 %
Saturated Fat 4 g 18 %
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 75 mg 25 %
Sodium 1205 mg 50 %
Potassium 616 mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 18 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 20 g 40 %
Vitamin A 88 %
Vitamin C 53 %
Calcium 9 %
Iron 13 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Awesome. After it was done add some heavy cream, its a new favorite at my house.
Mad this for lunch today & served with 1 point cornbread muffins. Yummy!!!
Love this recipe! Easy and delicious, my 3 year old even enjoyed it. Will make again soon
This soup is very good! I went right by the recipe! Will definitely be making this again soon! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Not my favorite and won’t make it again. I prefer the sausage, potatoes sauteed with onions in a skillet as a main dish. No liquid, just a little oil to brown sausage and potatoes. Serve with corn on the cob and corn muffins. To each his own I guess.
Why criticize a soup recipe for being soup, instead of sauteed sausage and potatoes with a side of corn? The real gem in this soup is the cabbage. I could eat this for at least one meal a day for a long, long time. We’re about to make a batch for Christmas Eve dinner.
Very easy and simple. I used my homemade turkey stock. My family are the whole pot. Thank you!!
We made this recipe. Easy to make, and great food to enjoy. Awesome
It was tummy. The smell was great as it was cooking and the flavors worked well together.
I made this today for my husband and I- he is picky with his soups and stews and LOVED it! We let it simmer for 15 then kept it on the burner on low for about 20 minutes. It was perfect. Thanks for this gem!
Made this today and it was delicious!
This soup is delicious!!!!! I love it!!!!
Great recipe for the family! The prep time is a whole lot more than 10 minutes, say 60 minutes! Also make sure your Italian seasoning is fresh, ten year old seasoning will not give it any flavor.
This is great tasting soup! My daughter can’t take spicy food at the moment so her husband and I added salt and garlic to our bowls which made it really yummy
the best soup, everyone loved it..
could you make this with ground sausage instead?
This recipe delivers all that is described. I added additional broth due to using additional veggies and it was amazing
This was delicious! We browned the kielbasa a little more and those pieces were the best in the soup. Also served over a hunk of dense bread. So good!
hi,i made this soup today,so so good, my kitchen smells great……it is yummy
So good!!! I prepped the leeks and carrots the night before. If I had more time I would have prepared more of the veggies ahead of time just to make it just that much easier. However, this is super easy to make. I cooked everything right in my giant soup pot. Seriously, so in love with this soup. Served with store bought potato rolls.
Made this soup tonight and it was a hit. It was a little bland for me but I added a bit of spicy brown mustard to my bowl and it was perfect!
I agree on the spicy mustard, that and a pat of butter makes this go to soup perfect.
I made this yesterday, excellent soup and perfect leftovers too.
I tried this recipe tonight, it was very tasty! I added more salt and a little more pepper plus the red pepper flakes.
It’s a cold day here in Friendswood Texas. I decided to make a pot of this soup, We love it. Served with crackers and cheddar cheese! Thank you for creating a perfect soup.
Hey Kathy I remember that day cause it was cold here in Pearland too and I made Cheeseburger Soup. I also love this Cabbage Soup. You know we don’t have many cold days where we are, so we have to have our soup recipes ready for when the temp drops below 50 outside. lol
I made this a couple of weeks ago and just got back from the grocery store to get all I need to make it again tomorrow. One thing in particular that is great about this soup is that it actually tastes even better on the second or third day. Be sure to make some cornbread or corn muffins with it. It is delicious, especially during cold weather.
IT is the bomb. My family LOVES it.
How long in an Instant Pot?
Good Taste except I added a 6 oz can of tomato paste. Excellent!
This was absolutely delicious – the perfect warming soup for a cold fall night. I was a little afraid I was the only one who would like it (picky eaters who don’t like cabbage or leeks or sausage), but every single person gobbled it up! Thank you!
Excellent!!!! Just made it.
The temperature outside tonight was in the upper 20’s. I made this tonight hoping it would be a warm, hearty, and filling dinner. It was perfect!! I added about 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper just to spice it up. This was the first of many times that I will make this soup. THank you so much for sharing it!
This was so good, easy to make, wonderful for cold nights, great for sharing with neighbors!
Made this soup today and it is wonderful,its a keeper for sure..next time i will double it everyone wanted more, YUM! & Ty for the recipe :)
Made this today. Absolutely delicious. Will make it again!
How is this without the potatoes?
Loved it. Super easy to make
love this recipe, have made it quite a few times now. altho the prep time for me is a bit longer than 10 minutes, but still way worth it ^^
Looks delicious. Sounds delicious. I”ll bet it even smells delicious! The only thing I might add (in fact, I have) is a can of tomatoes. Just because I”m a big fan!
Is the nutritional information on this recipe available?
This is so good! I just made it today, and even my 12 year old said it was great. I added a lot of vegetables, so had to increase the amount of stock. Also used half bone broth, half stock for additional health benefits. Because of the sodium in the sausage and stock, I did not add any extra salt, and don’t think it needs it. Agree that it is better with a bit of heat, I used red pepper flakes. Thanks for this recipe!
The best tasting cabbage soup. I going to have to share it , I already committed to it . Will make it again.
Made this hearty warm soup today on a cold a d windy Kentucky day. It smelled delicious and was even better after allowing the soup to cool in the frig to allow the flavors to blend together before reheating our lunch portions ans enjoying.
Definitely a keeper recipe.
Could you use regular onions instead of the leeks?
Very hearty soup! I love how everything works together. I did add sweet sausage, red onion and red cabbage as well. I had to make it my own. Will definitely be making this again.
This was really good. My whole family really liked it. It definitely comes together well, more than the sum of its parts.
Fantastic!
Made this tonight. My husband and I will thoroughly agree with most everyone else, it’s AWESOME! It was getting late and I had nothing specifically planned for dinner so I wanted to use my Insta-Pot. I may not have needed to pressure cooker it as long but it turned out great! Will definitely be a recipe to add to my binder! Went well with the homemade focaccia bread my husband made. Thank you.
This soup is so delicious!!! It’s the perfect meal on a cold night and is very hearty and filling. Thanks for sharing!
This was so delicious. I cook with a lot of deer meat and used my homemade deer stock for the broth and 1/4 of the sausage it called for. I put the venison in at the last minute. This soup is so delicious! Thanks for a sure thing!
I absolutely LOVE this soup!! So easy!! So good!! Flavors are outstanding!!!
I’ve made this recipe twice, came out beautifully both times. I’m good at soup, but this is by far my favorite and my family loves it too! Can’t say enough!
I just made this recipe. I like it.
Some stats from my attempt: The weight of this completed recipe was 125.5 ounces total (or 20.92 ounces per serving). I used “Sabatino’s Paleo Organic Basil & Cracked Black Pepper Smoked Chicken Sausage” for the sausage.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 311
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g 21 %
Saturated Fat 4 g 18 %
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 75 mg 25 %
Sodium 1205 mg 50 %
Potassium 616 mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 18 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 20 g 40 %
Vitamin A 88 %
Vitamin C 53 %
Calcium 9 %
Iron 13 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.