This Cabbage Soup With Sausage is a warm, healthy bowl of comfort. Full of flavor and tasty veggies, it’s gluten-free and low-carb!
As I type this post, the skies are a drab and dreary shade of gray. There’s a slight drizzle and a chill in the air that tells me fall has arrived in earnest. What a stark contrast from the beautifully sunny skies we had yesterday when I visited my local farmers’ market in search of delicious inspiration. I returned home with a basket full of seasonal produce and spent the day in the kitchen baking fruit pies for the upcoming holiday season as well as a hearty, rustic soup as part of my weekly meal prep. Though I’m all about quick salads in the summer, come fall, I love making soup during the weekend for easy weekday lunches.
And with today’s weather, I sure am glad I made this uplifting and comforting cabbage soup with sausage! Now hear me out—I’m well aware that the words “cabbage soup” might bring back memories of those awful diet soups that were all the rage years ago, but rest assured that this soup won’t come with empty promises. No, it won’t make you lose three sizes in one week. What it will do is give you a much-needed boost on a less-than-perfect fall day like today.
Is This cabbage Soup With Sausage Healthy?
Low in calories, relatively low in saturated fat, and chock-full of vegetables, this hearty soup will fill you up without weighing you down. If you are watching your salt intake, use a low-sodium chicken broth and skip the added salt. If you want to make a vegan/vegetarian version, leave out the sausage and use fiber-rich beans instead. Kidney beans, black beans, and cannellini beans (or even a mix of all three) will work particularly well in this recipe. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock, and for some smoky flavor, you could add smoked paprika powder or a touch of liquid smoke.
Delicious Flavor Combinations
Though I opted for a head of white cabbage and smoky andouille sausage in this recipe, you could substitute this duo (which forms the backbone of the soup) with other delicious ingredients. I love using cavolo nero (also known as Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale and popular in Italian recipes) with aromatic fennel sausages. Another great idea is to use savoy cabbage (such a gorgeous vegetable with its dark-green, crinkly leaves!) and chunky bratwurst. In that case, I would also add in some diced potatoes. Radicchio, which looks like a cabbage but is actually a type of chicory and has a slightly bitter taste, will work very well with chicken sausages and perhaps a whisper of lemon zest.
How to Make Ahead and Store
This soup is great for quick weekday lunches and will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container. The soup can also be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Reheat the soup gently, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
Serving Suggestions
This cabbage soup with sausage is hearty, cozy, and very tasty all on its own, but soup is always made better with sides! For this recipe, I would suggest serving it with some Easy Sweet Vegan Cornbread With Applesauce or even just a thick slice of sourdough bread.
Looking for other filling soup recipes to get you through the cold months ahead? Try this stick-to-your-ribs Crock-Pot Split Pea Soup With Ham or this aromatic Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 2 andouille or Italian chicken sausage links sliced (pork is fine too)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 medium head of cabbage chopped (about 6 cups)
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook until browned and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrot and sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, dried thyme, salt and cabbage, stirring the cabbage in well. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley and serve!
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
I have made this soup often with Italian sausage and cabbage, either white or purple. We love the taste and the texture of the cooked cabbage, the more the better. It makes enough to serve two persons for two days.
Thanks for letting me know Kathy, so happy to read this!