Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potato Soup
6 h 20 min
|
easy
|
low-fat,
Mediterranean diet
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Smoky sausage, sweet cabbage, and tender Yukon Golds slow cook into a bold, cozy soup that feels like Eastern European cabbage soup crossed with a Southern sausage stew.
Set it and get on with your day; garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and a cheeky touch of bouillon make it weeknight-proof, meal-prep friendly, and perfect for chilly nights or game day.
Ingredients (6 servings)
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Ingredients
- 12 oz smoked sausage, sliced smoked sausage 12 oz
- 1 large leek, sliced, rinsed leek 1 ct large
- 3 garlic cloves, minced garlic 0.27 head (for garlic cloves)
- 4 cups green cabbage, chopped green cabbage 0.94 lb
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes Yukon Gold potatoes 1.2 lb medium
- 2 carrots, sliced carrots 0.21 lb
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped red bell pepper 1 ct
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes diced tomatoes 1 can (14 oz)
- 5 cups chicken broth chicken broth 40 fl oz
- 1 cube chicken bouillon (optional, boosts savory depth) chicken bouillon 0.39 oz
- 1 tsp smoked paprika smoked paprika 0.08 oz
- 1 tsp dried thyme dried thyme 0.02 oz
- ½ tsp celery seed celery seed 0.08 oz
- 1 bay leaf bay leaves 0.01 oz
- ¾ tsp salt salt
- ½ tsp black pepper black peppercorns (for black pepper)
How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potato Soup
-
Rinse, slice, and set up
Slice the leek, then rinse it well in a bowl of water to remove every bit of grit.
Dice the potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes and keep them in cold water to prevent browning.
Chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces and discard the tough core.
Slice the smoked sausage into 1/2 inch rounds and mince the garlic.
-
Brown the sausage
Heat a large skillet over medium-high, add a light film of oil, and brown the sausage until edges are crisp and some fat renders, 4 to 6 minutes.
Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker and leave the rendered fat in the skillet for the aromatics.
-
Bloom the aromatics
Lower the skillet heat to medium and add the leek, carrots, and bell pepper with a pinch of salt, cooking until glossy and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and celery seed and cook 30 to 60 seconds until the spices smell toasty.
Pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits, then tip everything into the slow cooker.
-
Load the slow cooker
Add the cabbage, drained potatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, remaining broth, bay leaf, black pepper, and the bouillon cube if using to the slow cooker.
Add the salt now only if your broth and sausage are low sodium, starting with 1/2 teaspoon and saving the rest for finishing.
-
Cook low and slow
Cover and cook on Low for about 6 hours until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage is silky.
For faster timing, cook on High for about 3 hours, checking early so the potatoes do not overcook.
-
Finish and balance
Taste and adjust toward the full 3/4 teaspoon salt if needed, remembering the bouillon and sausage carry salt.
Remove the bay leaf and add a few extra grinds of black pepper.
If the soup tastes flat, brighten it with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of lemon.
For a slightly thicker body, mash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot and stir.
-
Serve and store
Ladle into warm bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil or a sprinkle of chopped parsley if you like.
Cool leftovers quickly and store in glass containers in the fridge, because tomorrow this soup will taste even better.
Substitutions
- Smoked sausage -> turkey kielbasa or plant-based smoked sausage
- Turkey kielbasa keeps the smoky vibe with a leaner, cleaner finish, while a good plant-based smoked sausage brings the same aromatic warmth and paprika-friendly flavor without the meat.
- Yukon Gold potatoes -> red potatoes
- Red potatoes hold their shape a touch better and keep a creamy bite, so the soup stays hearty without turning grainy even after a long simmer.
- Leek -> yellow onion
- A finely chopped yellow onion mimics the leek’s sweetness and body, giving you that same aromatic base with a slightly bolder edge.
Tips
- Brown like you mean it
- Crisp sausage builds fond in the pan that turns into liquid gold once you deglaze, so do not skip the sear.
- Leek cleaning, no grit allowed
- Slice first, then soak and swish in a bowl of water so dirt drops to the bottom, and scoop leeks out to drain.
- Cabbage texture control
- If you like a little bite, hold back half the cabbage and add it during the last hour on Low so you get both silky and crisp-tender strands.
- Smart salting with bouillon
- Start with less salt if using bouillon and salty sausage, then dial it in at the end when flavors are fully developed.
- Cut size equals control
- Keep potatoes at 3/4 inch and carrots a bit thinner so everything hits tenderness at the same time without turning mushy.
- Optional flavor pop
- A teaspoon of sofrito or a splash of sherry vinegar at the end adds depth and brightness that makes the broth sing.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 345 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15 | g |
| Total Fat | 18 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Can I cook this on High instead of Low?
- Yes, cook on High for about 3 hours and start checking the potatoes at 2.5 hours so they stay intact.
- My soup tastes too salty, how do I fix it?
- Add more unsalted broth or water, toss in a peeled diced potato to absorb some salt, and finish with a little acid like lemon or cider vinegar to balance.
- The potatoes turned mushy, what went wrong?
- They were either cut too small, cooked too long on High, or were a starchy variety, so cut to 3/4 inch, use Yukon or red potatoes, and avoid stirring too often.
- The flavor feels flat even with paprika and thyme, what should I add?
- Add a small splash of vinegar or lemon for brightness, crack in fresh black pepper, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil for roundness.
- Can I freeze this soup?
- Yes, cool completely and freeze up to 3 months, though potatoes may soften a bit on thawing, and reheat gently to keep texture.
- There is a little orange fat on top, is that normal?
- Yes, it is rendered fat and paprika, so either stir it back for flavor or skim with a spoon if you prefer a leaner finish.
Serving Suggestions
A crusty hunk of sourdough and a swipe of Dijon are perfect here, and if you like heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes will cozy right up to the smoky paprika.
Fire-roasted tomatoes add a subtle charred sweetness, or swap in turkey kielbasa for a leaner bowl without losing that deep, savory swagger.
More pairings:
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