Vegan Cabbage Soup

What goes in vegan cabbage soup?

You don't need a long list of ingredients for this homemade cabbage soup. Most of them are probably already sitting in your kitchen. Following are the ingredients that will be needed for vegan cabbage soup recipe:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

• Cabbage: I use regular green cabbage for this recipe. Shred it fairly thin so that it cooks quickly and is easy to eat with a spoon. You can also use white cabbage. Savoy cabbage works too, although the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
• Onion: I have used red onion but brown or white onion are fine too.
• Carrot: Carrots add a little natural sweetness and also give the soup some color. You can replace part of the carrot with other vegetables such as zucchini or bell pepper if you have them.
• Celery: Celery adds a subtle savory flavor. If you don't have it, you can simply leave it out rather than buying it specially for this recipe.
• Garlic: I prefer the flavor of fresh garlic but garlic powder can also be used in this soup recipe.
• Tomato: Fresh tomato gives the soup a nice fresh flavor and works particularly well with the cabbage.
• Lime juice: Don't skip the lime juice at the end. Just a little adds freshness and balances the flavors of the vegetables. Lemon juice can be used instead.
• Spinach: Fresh or frozen spinach both work well. Baby spinach is also fine. If you don't have spinach, you can use another leafy green such as kale. Just remember that tougher greens may need a little more cooking time.
• Seasonings: I keep the seasoning simple with dried thyme, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt. You can also add a bay leaf while the soup simmers for a little extra depth of flavor. Remove it before serving.
• Cooking oil: I have used olive oil, feel free to use cooking oil of your choice.
• Tomato paste: It gives the soup a deeper tomato flavor and make the broth more flavorful.
• Fresh herbs: Cilantro is my favorite herb and I have used that in the recipe You can also add other fresh herbs like parsley, dill, etc.
• Vegetable stock: Vegetable stock gives the soup more flavor than plain water, but both work. If using store-bought stock, check the salt level before adding too much extra salt to the soup.

Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.

How to make (Step by step photo instructions)?

To make this recipe, follow the easy step by step instructions given below:

Step 1: Heat oil in a cooking pot.

Step 2: Add chopped onion and minced garlic.

Step 3: Saute until the onion starts turning brown.

Step 4: Add chopped carrots.

Step 5: Add celery.

Step 6: Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Add chopped tomato.

Step 8: Add salt, pepper, chili flakes, and thyme.

Step 9: Mix and cook until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Step 10: Add tomato paste and sauté for a minute.

Step 11: Add cabbage.

Step 12: Sauté for another minute.

Step 13: Add vegetable stock and stir.

Step 14: Cover the pot. Let the soup simmer on low heat for around 15 minutes.

Step 15: Add spinach.

Step 16: Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the spinach gets wilted. Turn off the heat.

Step 17: Add fresh lime juice and stir.

Step 18: Add fresh cilantro on top.

Your easy and tasty cabbage soup is ready!

Mistakes to avoid

• Don't overcook the cabbage: Cabbage doesn't need to be cooked until it completely disappears into the broth. Overcooking can make it soft and take away some of its pleasant texture.
• Don't add all the vegetables at the same time: Different vegetables need different amounts of cooking time. Sautéing the onion, garlic, carrot and celery first gives the soup a much better flavor.
• Don't skip the tomato paste: It may seem like a small ingredient, but tomato paste adds depth to the soup. Give it a minute in the pot before adding the stock.
• Don't add too much lime juice at once: Lime can quickly become the dominant flavor. Start with a little and add more at the end if needed.
• Don't oversalt the soup: If you are using vegetable stock, taste it before adding salt. Some packaged stocks already contain quite a bit of salt.

How to serve cabbage soup

I usually serve this soup hot, straight from the pot, with a little freshly chopped cilantro on top.

For a light meal, it is perfectly good on its own. If you want something more filling, serve it with toasted bread, crispy garlic cheese toast, dinner rolls or baked potato wedges.

A simple sandwich on the side also works nicely when you want to turn it into a more hearty lunch.

Storing, freezing, and reheating

Allow the soup to cool and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it refrigerated and use it within about 4 days.

It also freezes well.

For convenience, freeze it in individual or family size portions in freezer safe containers. Leave a little space at the top because the soup will expand as it freezes.

For the best texture and flavor, use frozen soup within around 3–4 months.

If frozen, thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheat it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If the soup seems too thick while reheating, add a little water or vegetable stock to loosen it.

You can also reheat an individual portion in the microwave.

Meal prep tips

This is a particularly handy soup to make ahead because most of the work can be done in one go.

• Make a large pot at the beginning of the week and divide it into individual portions.
• Keep a few servings in the refrigerator and freeze the rest.
• If you already have chopped carrots, cabbage and celery in the fridge, the preparation becomes even quicker.
• Store the lime juice and fresh herbs separately if you are preparing the soup several days in advance. Add them just before serving for a fresher flavor.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

• Instead of shredding, you can also chop the cabbage.
• Don't overcook the cabbage otherwise, it will lose its taste and texture
• You can also add more ingredients like mushroom, tofu, bean sprouts, or bok choy.
• Feel free to add more vegetables and seasoning of your choice.
• To add heat to this vegan cabbage soup, add finely chopped chili peppers or hot sauce.
• The combination of fresh dill and cabbage tastes very good. So, if you have dill add it to season this soup.
• Vegetarians may serve this cabbage soup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Frequently asked questions

More easy cabbage recipes

Looking for more easy cabbage recipes? Don't miss to try the following recipes:

1. Cabbage poriyal
2. Thai cabbage salad
3. Vegan borscht
4. Indian style red cabbage
5. Red cabbage soup
6. Turkish red cabbage salad
7. Spicy red cabbage

More vegan soup recipes

Looking for more comforting vegan soups? Try these:

1. Trinidad corn soup
2. Roasted cauliflower soup
3. Black bean soup
4. Tofu noodle soup
5. Red cabbage soup
6. Cannellini bean soup
7. Zucchini potato soup
8. Fava bean soup
9. Mushroom potato soup
10. Easy frozen vegetable soup