Hearty Cabbage Potato and Sausage Soup
1 h 5 min
|
easy
|
low-fat,
Mediterranean diet
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
This hearty cabbage, potato, and sausage soup brings rustic European comfort with an Italian-American twist, packed with sweet cabbage, creamy Yukon golds, and juicy Italian sausage in a tomatoey broth boosted by chicken bouillon.
One pot, meal-prep friendly, and perfect for cold nights or game day, it is properly seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, so no flimsy broth on my watch.
Ingredients (6 servings)
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage, sliced Italian sausage 16 oz
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced yellow onions 0.21 lb medium
- 3 cloves garlic, minced garlic 0.27 head (for garlic clove)
- 3 carrots, peeled, chopped carrots 0.32 lb
- 3 fresh celery stalks, diced fresh celery 4 oz
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed Yukon Gold potatoes 1.6 lb medium
- ½ head green cabbage, chopped green cabbage 1 lb
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice diced tomatoes 1 can (14.5 oz)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste tomato paste 0.5 oz
- 6 cups chicken broth chicken broth 48 fl oz
- 1 cube chicken bouillon chicken bouillon 0.39 oz
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste) salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper black peppercorns (for freshly ground black pepper)
- ½ tsp dried thyme dried thyme 0.01 oz
- ½ tsp dried oregano dried oregano 0.06 oz
- 1 bay leaf bay leaves 0.01 oz
How to Make Hearty Cabbage Potato and Sausage Soup
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Set up and prep
Lay out a heavy Dutch oven, a wooden spoon, and a sharp knife, then slice the sausage, dice the onion and celery, chop the carrots and cabbage, mince the garlic, and peel and cube the potatoes into 3/4 inch pieces.
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Brown the sausage
Heat the olive oil over medium high until it shimmers, then sear the sausage in a single layer until well browned on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes, and transfer to a bowl leaving the tasty fat in the pot.
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Sweat the aromatics
Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a small pinch of the salt and cook over medium heat until the onions turn translucent and the veggies soften, about 6 to 8 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
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Bloom garlic and tomato paste
Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens to a deep brick red to unlock sweetness and depth.
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Deglaze with tomatoes
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and stir, scraping the bottom to fully dissolve the fond for built in flavor.
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Build the soup base
Add the potatoes, chicken broth, bouillon cube, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then drop to a steady simmer and cook 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
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Finish with cabbage and sausage
Stir in the chopped cabbage and the browned sausage and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still has a little bite.
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Taste and serve
Fish out the bay leaf, taste, and adjust salt to your liking considering the bouillon and sausage, then ladle into warm bowls and serve hot.
Substitutions
- Italian sausage -> smoked kielbasa
- Kielbasa brings a deeper smoky vibe and a firmer bite, and those edges caramelize like a dream, giving the broth a campfire whisper without overpowering the cabbage.
- Yukon gold potatoes -> red potatoes
- Red potatoes hold their shape even longer and keep the broth a touch clearer, so you get creamy bites without any mushy edges.
- Italian sausage -> chicken or turkey sausage
- Lean poultry sausage keeps things lighter while still giving a savory backbone, and the clean flavor lets the thyme and oregano shine brighter.
Tips
- Do not rush the browning
- Crowding the pan steams sausage, so sear in batches if needed and wait for that deep golden crust because that is your flavor bank.
- Salt in stages with restraint
- Between sausage, broth, and bouillon, salt stacks fast, so season the veggies lightly and finish the final salt adjustment at the end.
- Cut to control texture
- Keep potatoes at a consistent 3/4 inch and cabbage in bite sized ribbons so everything cooks evenly and you do not end up with slumped greens or blown out spuds.
- Bloom the paste for depth
- Cooking the tomato paste until it turns darker removes raw acidity and gives you that slow cooked, all day flavor in minutes.
- Brighten at the finish
- A tiny splash of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of lemon right before serving sharpens the broth and balances the richness without reading as sour.
- Make ahead like a pro
- This soup gets better overnight as the flavors marry, so cool quickly, store in glass, and reheat gently to keep the potatoes intact.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 425 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 19 | g |
| Total Fat | 23 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- My soup tastes too salty, how do I fix it?
- Stir in 1 to 2 cups unsalted broth or water, add a splash of acid like cider vinegar to balance, and if needed simmer a peeled chunk of potato for 10 minutes to absorb some salt, then remove it.
- The broth looks greasy, what can I do?
- Skim the surface with a spoon or lay a paper towel briefly on top to blot, and next time drain off all but 1 tablespoon of sausage fat before sweating the veggies.
- My potatoes went mushy, what went wrong?
- A rolling boil can beat up potatoes, so keep the soup at a gentle simmer and stick with waxy or all purpose potatoes like Yukon gold or red, not russets.
- How do I keep the cabbage from getting limp and sulfurous?
- Add cabbage near the end and cook just until tender with a little crunch, then finish with a small hit of acid and serve hot with the lid off to vent steam.
- Can I freeze this soup?
- Yes, but undercook the potatoes by a couple minutes so they hold up after thawing, cool completely, and freeze in glass containers with headspace for up to 2 months.
- The soup tastes flat, how do I wake it up?
- Hit it with a pinch more black pepper, a touch more bouillon or salt, and a small splash of vinegar or lemon, then simmer 2 minutes and taste again.
Serving Suggestions
This soup loves a snowfall of chopped parsley, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a slow, cozy burn.
Pair with warm crusty bread or buttered rye, and if you are feeling extra, grate a little Parm or dollop sour cream to make the broth silky and impossible to put down.
More pairings:
Reviews
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Neva, Indiana: It was delish! I didn’t have Italian sausage so I used cheddar sausage and it came out. Great! I always have Italian sausage, but I didn’t have it today. It’s still tasted awesome. Thank you for the recipe.
: Glad it worked out with cheddar sausage, Neva! 😊
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