This thick, hearty, and spicy cabbage soup gets an extra kick from Cajun andouille sausage.
While it is a wonderful first course, it is so substantial and filling that it can easily be used as the main course.
This hearty and spicy cabbage soup is a lovely way to keep warm on a cold winter night (hot chocolate is another one!). It's rich and flavorful, and the addition of sausage turns it into a filling meal.
The prep time for this soup is just 15 minutes, and then it's simmered for about 30 minutes. The leftovers are just as good as the freshly made soup!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few ingredients to make this soup. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview:
- Olive oil: This is by far my favorite oil to cook with. Other options include avocado oil and ghee.
- 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.
- Aromatocs and spices: Garlic, coriander, cumin, and black pepper.
- 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!
Variations
- You can cook the onions in any fat you like, including avocado oil, ghee, or bacon fat.
- Smoked paprika is an excellent addition to this soup - add ½ teaspoon. I like the smoky flavor it adds.
- You can omit the sausage and add small meatballs to the soup instead. Beef 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.
- It's okay to replace the beef broth with chicken broth.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Your first step is to heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook until the onion is tender, stirring often. Add the sausage and cook it until lightly browned.
Add the garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for just 30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant. Add the shredded cabbage in batches. Cook until the cabbage is just tender.
Stir in the tomatoes, black pepper, and beef broth. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately. Look at this rich, comforting goodness!
Expert Tip
I prefer to use salted broth in this recipe 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Simply omit the sausage and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
It's not. If you'd like it to be extra spicy, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.
Yes. 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.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious soup, containing meat and vegetables, is a complete meal. 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.
Storing Leftovers
The leftovers 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 or mugs of it, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If reheating on the stovetop, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
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Recipe Card
Spicy Cabbage Soup
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 saucepan 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.Â
- Serve immediately.
Video
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.
- Smoked paprika is an excellent addition to this soup - add ½ teaspoon. I like the smoky flavor it adds.
- I prefer salted broth in this recipe to low-sodium broth, as I find low-sodium broth lacking 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.Â
- 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.
- Â 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
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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. 
Randy
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
Hi Randy,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup!
Noodles sound great - go for it. 🙂