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The Best Cabbage Soup recipe is packed with unexpected flavors (hello, pickle juice!) and will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl. This healthy soup recipe is the ultimate cozy winter dinner idea.
My first long-term boyfriend was a Ukrainian I met in college. I took classes in Russian, visited his family in Ukraine, and learned some of his best secrets in the kitchen.
While the relationship eventually ended, his recipe for The Best Cabbage Soup lives on.
Yes, I know some of the ingredients like pickle juice sound odd, but trust me; this easy soup recipe is mind-blowingly good.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Beef broth: Or opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
- Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
- Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dill. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This soup can be made up to 3 days in advance. Or, get a jump-start on prep by peeling and chopping all the vegetables and store covered in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Transfer to freezer-safe containers (I love glass mason jars), leaving 1/2-inch headspace, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make it meaty: Since this recipe is originally from the Ukraine, it would be completely appropriate to make cabbage soup with kielbasa or Polish sausage. Simply brown the sausages in advance, then add the links to the soup to simmer with the vegetables. Remove the whole sausages just before serving to slice and add back into the soup. Other tasty protein options: browned ground beef (for a cabbage roll-inspired rendition), cooked bacon, ham hock or ham bone, or shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Cabbage soup is an easy, delicious way to eat more vegetables. A bowl of hot hearty cabbage soup is perfectly contrasted by garnishes of cold sour cream and sour pickle juice. It’s perfection.
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The Best Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small turnip peeled and julienned
- 2 carrots peeled and julienned
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 celery ribs sliced
- 4 cups beef broth or vegetable broth (see note 1)
- 1 pound green cabbage shredded
- 1 green apple peeled, cored, and diced (see note 2)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice or lemon juice (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped, plus more for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dill. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and stir in pickle or lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.) Garnish with sour cream and more fresh dill if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Beef broth: Or opt for vegetable broth to make The Best Cabbage Soup a fully vegan recipe.
- Green apple: A crunchy variety like Granny Smith or Crispin will hold up nicely as this soup simmers.
- Pickle juice: The acidity this lends is what makes this soup recipe so addictive and well-balanced. A splash of fresh lemon juice can also work in a pinch.
- Yield: This recipe makes four main dish-sized servings of vegetable soup. Pair it with a side salad and crusty bread to make The Best Cabbage Soup a full, hearty meal.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Just made this delicious soup and shared it with neighbors.We added beef kielbasa and two potatoes,mom good.Thanksgiving for your recipe
I’m so happy you loved it, Suzette! Thank you for taking the time to write! – Meggan
Can I use my instant pot for the cabbage soup?
Hi Irma, I haven’t tested this soup in an Instant Pot, yet! I would use the sauté function for step one, cooking until the vegetables are softened. After adding the broth, cabbage, apple, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dill, close and secure the lid. I would then cook on Manual high pressure for 15 minutes, then allow the pot to naturally release. I would then season with salt to taste. I hope this helps! – Meggan
My husband really enjoyed this soup! Very simple, yet flavorful!