Hearty Cabbage and Sausage Soup

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If you look out on the ol’ interwebs, you’ll find lots of recipes similar to this one (it’s a pretty classic soup). Many include potatoes (mine doesn’t) and lots more sausage than I choose to use. I keep an eye toward sodium and go with only 12 ounces of kielbasa. The Target near my house sells 12-ounce packages of it (I don’t remember the brand), and it’s more than plenty to flavor the whole big pot of soup.

Well, folks, this veggie-loaded soup is just so easy and straightforward that I don’t have any technique or process photos—none needed! All you need is the recipe card. And maybe a side of cornbread. Enjoy!

Yield: 8 (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

Hearty Cabbage and Sausage Soup

prep time: 20 minscook time: 41 minstotal time: 61 mins

This humble soup is always on repeat at the Pittman house. I almost thought that it might be too simple to post, but since we love it so much, I figured someone else might love it, too. It's perfect on a chilly night—piping hot and brothy, comforting and full of veggies. It doesn't hurt that the kids love it (and ask for reheated leftovers for school-day breakfasts!) and that the ingredients are pretty inexpensive. It makes almost a gallon, so use a large Dutch oven. The soup holds well for up to three days (and reheats beautifully), but I wouldn't recommend freezing it—the cabbage would get too mushy when the soup thawed. No step-by-step technique photos needed for this recipe: It's just that easy to make!

ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped white onion (about 1 large onion)
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery (about 3 large stalks)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 12 oz. kielbasa or other smoked sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 1/2 lb.), cored and coarsely chopped
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
  • 3-4 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 6 oz. fresh baby spinach

instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and kielbasa; sauté 4 minutes or until sausage begins to brown.
  2. Pile cabbage into pan. Pour chicken stock and enough water to mostly cover cabbage (3-4 cups) over cabbage. Gently stir in thyme and bay leaves, then stir in tomatoes, pepper, and salt. 
  3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Uncover and stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

NOTES:

Calories 253; Fat 15g (sat 4g); Protein 10g; Carb 22g; Fiber 7g; Sugars 10g (added sugars 1g); Sodium 684mg
Created using The Recipes Generator