A thick, hearty and spicy cabbage soup that gets an extra kick from cajun andouille sausage. It's so substantial and filling, I consider it as a proper main course.
There's nothing quite like a hot, comforting bowl of soup when it's cold outside. It's the quintessential winter experience (I suppose hot chocolate is another good example).
This hearty cabbage soup is an especially lovely way to keep warm on a cold winter night. It is rich, very flavorful, and the addition of spicy sausage turns it into a complete and very filling meal.
The ingredients used in this recipe
You'll only need a few ingredients to make this tasty, comforting soup. This is an overview - the exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below:
Olive oil: This is by far my favorite oil to cook with. But if you're unsure about cooking with it because of its relatively low smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead
Onion: I'm lazy, so I often use the food processor to chop onions. Of course, I then have more dishes to wash...
Spicy andouille sausage: Or use your favorite sausage. If you're not a fan of processed meats, you can simply omit it, or use small homemade meatballs instead.
Spices: I use garlic, coriander (which I recently learned are the seeds of cilantro), cumin, and black pepper. Make sure the spices you use are fresh. A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Shredded cabbage: I 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.
Diced tomatoes: Leave them undrained. It's best to use petite-diced tomatoes if you can.
Beef stock: Not reduced-sodium. Store-bought is fine - just check the ingredients to make sure they look OK.
How to make cabbage soup with sausage
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Your first step is to heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it's heated, you add the oil and the onion. Cook until the onion is tender, stirring often.
2. Add the sausage. Cook it until lightly browned.
3. Now add the garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for just 30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant.
4. Next, you add the shredded cabbage. You might need to do so in batches. Cook until the cabbage is just tender.
5. The final step is to stir in the tomatoes, black pepper, and beef stock. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
How to serve cabbage soup?
This tasty soup, containing meat and vegetables, is a complete meal. It's very filling! So there's really no need to serve anything with it. Although you can certainly serve it to six as a first course if you'd like.
Sometimes I serve it with thick slices of buttered almond flour bread or with these cheese biscuits on the side.
What about leftovers?
Leftovers of this cabbage soup keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. In fact, the soup gets even more flavorful the second day! I gently reheat bowls of it, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
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Cabbage Soup with Sausage
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 oz spicy andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (10 oz) packages shredded cabbage (for coleslaw)
- 1 (14 oz) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained (petite-diced is best)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 quart beef stock (not low-sodium)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and the onion. Cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage. Cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
- Add the shredded cabbage, in batches if necessary. Stir-fry 5 minutes or until just tender.
- Stir in the tomatoes, black pepper, and beef stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.