This hearty and flavorful cabbage soup is made with spicy andouille sausage. It makes the perfect first course, but it's also filling enough to serve as the main course.
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.
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.
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.