Hearty Red Cabbage Soup

This simple, yet healthy and delicious Hearty Red Cabbage Soup is perfect anytime you need a filling and hot weeknight dinner. With just a handful of fresh ingredients, this recipe comes together in about 45 minutes and is vegan and gluten-free.

It's that time of year again where everyone in my household is sick. Maybe it's the cold, short winter days or the fact my youngest is still in daycare, but it seems like at least one of us is sick all the time. That is why we have soup for dinner pretty regularly. Whether it's my simple and delicious oven-roasted Easy Cherry Tomato Soup or my filling Butter Bean and Kale Stew made with tomato jam, I love to serve my family hot and delicious soups and stews all through winter.

For this red cabbage soup, I went fairly simple and decided to keep it vegan. Using red cabbage (also called purple cabbage) ensures our soup is packed with Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system and is packed with antioxidants. Plus it turns the soup a bright purple color, which makes for a visually interesting soup. This soup definitely has a borscht flavor with its sweet cabbage and tangy splash of vinegar.

Jump to:

• Ingredients that Matter
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Red Cabbage
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• Dinner Ideas
• Vegetarian Ideas
• Recipe

Ingredients that Matter

This recipe relies mostly on fresh produce along with a couple pantry staples. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:

• Red Cabbage. Also known as purple cabbage, this brassica gets its vibrant color from anthocyanins. It is high in vitamin C and vitamin K and a moderate amount of vitamin B6.
• Aromatics. The backbone flavor for this recipe comes from aromatics that include carrots, celery, leeks and garlic. You can swap out the leeks for onion if preferred.
• Potato. Adding a medium Yukon gold potato makes this soup hearty and filling. You can also use red potatoes or a white potato, if preferred.
• Vegetable Broth. I recommend using broth instead of water for flavor and nutrition. You can swap out vegetable broth for chicken broth, if preferred.
• Olive Oil. A couple tablespoons of olive oil is all you need to cook the vegetables. If you opt to not use oil, simply cook the vegetables in about ¼ cup of the vegetable broth until tender.
• Fresh Herbs. Finishing this recipe with some fresh herbs like parsley and dill packs a ton of flavor. You could also use chives or scallions.
• Red Wine Vinegar. Finish the soup with a splash of red wine vinegar to brighten the flavor. Though note that adding acid to the soup will change its color so I recommend adding it at just before serving. The vinegar will actually help seal in the reddish color of the cabbage.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Putting together this soup is quite simple and most of the time is hands-off as the soup simmers away. Here is how this recipe comes together:

Substitutions

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free. It is also quite easy to adjust based on your dietary needs and flavor preferences. Here are some suggested substitutions and variations:

• Protein - This recipe isn't packed with protein as written, so you can add a can of white beans, some lentils or even tofu, if desired.
• Green Vegetables - You can pack in some green vegetables to this recipe. I served leftovers with some edamame, which was a perfect addition! You can also try peas, zucchini, green beans or even spinach. Though note that I recommend adding green vegetables right at the end of cooking as the color of the soup will not look great.
• Vinegar - If for some reason you don't want to use red wine vinegar, you can instead use apple cider or white wine vinegar. You can even use lemon juice. I do not recommend a dark vinegar like balsamic or sherry as it will make the soup gray.
• Red Cabbage - I strongly recommend using red cabbage for this soup (it's called red cabbage soup, after all!), but if needed, you can use green cabbage instead. There is more about red cabbage below.
• Toppings - I like to serve this soup topped with a dollop of sour cream. To keep it vegan and dairy-free, you could use a plain plant-based yogurt.

Red Cabbage

One of my favorite things about red cabbage (and all cabbages, for that matter) is its long shelf life. Red cabbage will keep in the fridge for several weeks. I've actually never had red cabbage go bad.

Red cabbage, also called purple cabbage, is delicious raw as well as cooked. In fact, one of my favorite slaws is our Purple Cabbage Slaw, which includes other crisp vegetables like radishes and turnips, along with a fresh dressing made with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Did you know the purple and red color of the cabbage depends on the pH level of the soil? More acidic soil makes for a more reddish color cabbage while a more base/neutral soil will keep the cabbage a deeper purple color.

What about the nutrition in red cabbage? Cooked red cabbage has about 1.5 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fibers and a good amount of vitamins and minerals, include vitamin C and vitamin K.

Equipment

For this soup you'll only need a cooking vessel. I like to use a heavy bottom pot or large Dutch oven. Good options include this Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or this Le Creuset 5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven.

Storage

Store leftovers of this hearty purple cabbage soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You could freeze this soup for up to 3 months. To reheat, simple bring the soup to a boil and simmer for about 1 minute.

Note that after adding the vinegar the color of the soup will change. In fact the vinegar will almost seal in the reddish color of the soup. You could add another splash of vinegar to the soup after reheating to further enhance the color.

FAQ

Dinner Ideas

Looking for dinner ideas? Try these:

Vegetarian Ideas

If you want some vegetarian recipe inspiration, try these recipes:

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