A thick and hearty sausage, potato, and cabbage soup; a healthy recipe that is packed with flavorful ingredients!
Growing up my dad went through a phase where he wanted us kids to eat cabbage in some form every single day. He’d read something about the health benefits of cabbage and I’m certain he thought he could prevent us ever getting sick if we ate it constantly.
So he really did prepare cabbage in just about every way imaginable. We complained a lot at first, but over time we eventually got used to the taste.
The first time we ever ate cabbage willingly was in a soup very similar to this. One packed with veggies, red potatoes, ground beef, and Italian seasonings. His cabbage and red potato soup was a major hit with my family and I have actually been a cabbage fan ever since!
How do you make this Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup?- Start by prepping all of the veggies you’ll add to this soup. There are quite a bit of veggies that get a coarse chop: celery, carrots, onion, red potatoes, and cabbage. If you want to cut down on prep time find a pre-chopped mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onion) in the produce section of your local grocery store.
- Next, cook the sausage in a little bit of olive oil. I use turkey sausage to make this soup healthier but it’s okay to use other types to your liking. I slice the sausage in rounds, but chopping it up into smaller pieces is a great option too. Once the sausage is cooked, remove it to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb some of that excess oil.
- Now it’s time to add in all those veggies you chopped. I use a little bit of oil + butter to saute the veggies in. Start with the onion, carrot, and celery. Once those are cooked down a bit add in some garlic. Lastly it’s time to add the cabbage. It’s going to feel like you’re adding way too much cabbage to the dish, but it cooks down a lot and it really is the base ingredient in the soup. I also add in some tomatoes — home cooks enjoy getting fire-roasted tomatoes from the grocery store because there is so much more flavor. Add in the seasonings, potatoes, the sausage you cooked earlier, and finally the stock.
- And now it’s hands-off for a bit! While that soup is simmering you can make some straightforward sides to go along with the soup. Our favorites: thissalad and some crusty sourdough bread!
More satisfying Soup Recipes:
- slow cooker Mexican Street Corn Chowder
- 20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Soup
- slow cooker White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 13 ounces smoked sausage
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 of a small yellow onion (3/4 cup, diced)
- 2 stalks celery (1/2 cup, thinly sliced)
- 2 large carrots (1 cup, peeled and diced)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3/4 of a small green cabbage (cut into bite-sized pieces, 8 cups)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 pound baby red potatoes (unpeeled, 3 cups, diced)
- 5 to 7 cups chicken stock (or broth)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- fresh thyme (skippable)
- Hearty sourdough bread (for serving)
Method
- Warm up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-heat. Once oil is shimmering, add sausage (see note 1). Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned. move sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cover with foil and keep nearby. If there is extra oil left in the pot, drain all but 1 tablespoon. If there’s no oil, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter.
- Add diced onion, chopped carrots and sliced celery to the pot. Sauté over a medium burner for 4–6 minutes, then add minced garlic. Sauté another minute, then add chopped cabbage. Stir to combine and ensure the bottom veggies aren’t getting burned. Cook another few minutes until cabbage cooks down a bit, stirring frequently. Add paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper (add to preference, I add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stock has a good amount of salt in it).
- Add potatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes (undrained), stock (I start with 5 cups and add to just cover everything, up to 7 cups), bay leaf, and cooked sausage. Stir to combine. Cook until soup reaches a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 15–20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. check the seasoning and adjust seasonings if needed (any additional salt/pepper).
- Serve with some hearty bread and fresh thyme as desired.
