This spicy cabbage soup is incredibly flavorful. It gets an extra kick from Cajun andouille sausage. It's rich, hearty, and easy to make.
This spicy cabbage soup is rich and flavorful, and the addition of sausage turns it into a filling meal. The prep time is just 15 minutes, and then it's simmered for about 30 minutes. A wonderful first course, it's so substantial and filling that it can easily be used as the main course. The leftovers are just as good as the freshly made soup!
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Onion: I use yellow onion, but white onion works, too. Here's a look at onion types.
- Spicy andouille sausage: This is my favorite sausage, but any fully cooked sausage link will work, except for sweet ones like apple chicken sausage.
- Shredded cabbage: I sometimes make life easy by buying it already washed and shredded. But it's not difficult to shred it yourself with a sharp chef's knife like I do in this recipe for fried cabbage.
- Diced tomatoes: Leave them undrained. It's best to use petite-diced tomatoes. My favorite brand is Pomi Chopped Tomatoes.
- Beef broth: Not reduced sodium. Store-bought is fine! It's okay to replace the beef broth with chicken broth.
Variation: Add Meatballs
You can omit the sausage and add small meatballs to the soup instead. Beef meatballs (like these baked meatballs) are especially hearty, but chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs are also good. If using cooked meatballs, they should be added to the hot soup after it has finished cooking. If they're raw, add them to the soup right before you boil it. Using tiny meatballs like these cocktail meatballs (without their sauce) is especially fun.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook the onions in olive oil until tender. Add the sausage and cook it until lightly browned. Add the garlic, coriander, and cumin, then add the shredded cabbage in batches. Cook until the cabbage is tender.
Stir in the tomatoes, black pepper, and beef broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer it covered for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately. Look at this rich, comforting goodness!
Just made this for the second time and it is so yummy! Pairs well with the keto corn bread, too. I used chicken broth the first time as that's what I had in the pantry and beef broth the second time. I think it's more flavorful with beef broth. Thank you!
Andrea
Read more comments
Just made this for the second time and it is so yummy! Pairs well with the keto corn bread, too. I used chicken broth the first time as that's what I had in the pantry and beef broth the second time. I think it's more flavorful with beef broth. Thank you!Recipe Tips
- I prefer to use salted broth rather than low-sodium broth, as I find low-sodium broth lacking in flavor. But you can use it if you'd like. Then, taste the soup and decide if it needs more salt.
- How to serve: This delicious soup, containing meat and vegetables, is a complete meal (just like this vegetable beef soup). It's very filling! So there's no need to serve anything with it. But if you'd like to serve it with something on the side, good options include almond flour bread, cheese biscuits, or cornbread.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. In fact, the soup is even more flavorful the second day! I gently reheat bowls or mugs of it, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If reheating on the stovetop, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- I sometimes freeze individual servings in mugs and quickly reheat them (covered) in the microwave. Before placing them in the freezer, I cover the mugs with two layers of plastic wrap.
Recipe Card
Spicy Cabbage Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - extra-virgin
- 1 onion - large, chopped
- 4 spicy andouille sausage links - fully cooked, thinly sliced; 12 ounces total
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon dried coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ large cabbage - shredded; 8 cups, 20 ounces
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes - canned, unsalted, undrained
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 1 quart beef broth - not low-sodium
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion. Cook until tender, stirring often, for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the sausage slices. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the shredded cabbage in 2-3 batches. Cook, stirring, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, black pepper, and beef broth. If the soup seems too thick, add a cup of water.
- Bring the soup to a boil over high heat - this should take about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can omit the sausage and add small meatballs to the soup instead. Beef meatballs are especially hearty, but chicken or turkey meatballs are also good. If using cooked meatballs, they should be added to the hot soup after it has finished cooking. If they're raw, add them to the soup right before you boil it.
- I prefer salted broth, as I find low-sodium broth lacking in flavor. But you can use it if you'd like. Then, taste the soup and decide if it needs more salt.
- This soup is moderately spicy. If you'd like it to be truly spicy, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.
- To make it vegetarian, omit the sausage and use vegetable broth.
- The leftovers keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. I gently reheat bowls or mugs of them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If reheating on the stovetop, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- I sometimes freeze individual servings in mugs and quickly reheat them (covered) in the microwave. Before placing them in the freezer, I cover the mugs with a couple of layers of plastic wrap.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Andrea says
Just made this for the second time and it is so yummy! Pairs well with the keto corn bread, too. I used chicken broth the first time as that's what I had in the pantry and beef broth the second time. I think it's more flavorful with beef broth. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you like this soup, Andrea! Thank you for the review and for the feedback about chicken vs. beef broth.
I'm glad you like the cornbread, too!
Stephanie Whittaker says
Delicious! I like that it isn’t too spicy, but does have really good flavor!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Stephanie! I'm glad you enjoyed this soup.
Randy says
Made this yesterday and all agreed that it was delicious!!
Next time, and there will definitely be one, I was thinking about adding some pre cooked egg noodles.. Your thoughts please..
Thanks
Randy
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Randy,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup!
Noodles sound great - go for it. 🙂