Red cabbage soup is a hearty, deeply flavorful dish that’s been a staple in Eastern European cuisine for generations. This beautiful soup features tender red cabbage simmered with vegetables, broth, and often a touch of sweetness and acidity that brings out the cabbage’s natural flavor while mellowing any bitterness. The result is a stunning deep purple soup that’s both visually striking and incredibly satisfying. Some versions are vegetarian, while others include meat like sausage or beef for extra heartiness. The cabbage becomes sweet and tender as it cooks, creating a comforting bowl that’s perfect for cold weather. Whether you’re exploring Eastern European cooking, looking for an affordable and nutritious soup, or simply want to try something different from the usual vegetable soups, red cabbage soup delivers bold flavor, beautiful color, and warming comfort in every spoonful.
Serving Quantity: Serves 6 to 8 people
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (including 15 minutes prep time and 1 hour cooking time)
1. Ingredients for Soup Base
- One medium head red cabbage (about 2 pounds), shredded
- Two tablespoons olive oil or butter
- One large onion, diced
- Two medium carrots, diced
- Two celery stalks, diced
- Four cloves garlic, minced
- One medium potato, peeled and diced
- One can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
- Six cups vegetable or chicken broth
- One bay leaf
- Optional: one pound smoked sausage or bacon, sliced
2. Ingredients for Seasoning and Flavor
- Three tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Two tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- One tablespoon tomato paste
- Two teaspoons caraway seeds (optional but traditional)
- One teaspoon dried thyme
- One teaspoon paprika
- Half teaspoon ground allspice
- Two teaspoons salt
- One teaspoon black pepper
- Two tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- Two tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3. Ingredients for Serving
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Fresh dill for garnish
- Crusty rye or sourdough bread
- Extra black pepper
4. Prepare the Red Cabbage
Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut it into quarters through the core. Cut out and discard the tough core from each quarter. Place each quarter flat-side down and slice it thinly into shreds about a quarter inch wide. You’ll end up with a large pile of purple cabbage ribbons. Don’t worry about the volume, as cabbage cooks down dramatically. Rinse the shredded cabbage in a colander and let it drain well. The prep work is the most time-consuming part, but once it’s done, the soup comes together quickly.
5. Brown the Meat (If Using)
If you’re making a heartier version with sausage or bacon, start by browning it. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage or chopped bacon and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy. The meat will release flavorful fat that will season the soup. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked meat to a plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot. If making vegetarian soup, skip this step and start with oil or butter.
6. Sauté the Aromatics
Add the olive oil or butter to the pot with the meat drippings if you used meat, or just to an empty pot if vegetarian. Heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. This classic vegetable combination creates a flavorful base. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. The vegetables will pick up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add Tomato Paste and Spices
Add the tomato paste to the pot, stirring it into the vegetables. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This caramelizes the tomato paste and removes any raw, metallic taste while deepening the color and flavor. Add the caraway seeds if using, thyme, paprika, and allspice. Stir constantly for about 1 minute to toast the spices. Caraway seeds are traditional in Eastern European cabbage dishes and add a distinctive earthy, slightly anise-like flavor that’s wonderful with cabbage.
8. Add the Cabbage
Add all the shredded red cabbage to the pot. It will seem like too much and may pile above the rim, but don’t worry. Stir it around, and it will start to wilt and shrink within minutes as it heats. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to soften and reduce in volume. The cabbage will start to release its moisture and the vibrant purple color will intensify. Make sure all the cabbage gets coated with the aromatic vegetable mixture.
9. Add Liquids and Tomatoes
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the broth, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar or honey. Add the diced potato and bay leaf. Stir everything together thoroughly. The vinegar is crucial as it helps preserve the beautiful purple color of the cabbage and adds brightness. The brown sugar balances the acidity and brings out the natural sweetness of the cabbage. If you browned meat earlier, return it to the pot now. Add the salt and black pepper.
10. Simmer the Soup
Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low so the soup maintains a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The soup is done when the cabbage is very tender and sweet, the potato is soft and starting to break down, and all the flavors have melded together beautifully. The cabbage should be silky and melt-in-your-mouth tender, not crunchy or tough.
11. Check and Adjust Seasoning
After the simmering time, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Red cabbage soup should have a balanced sweet-sour-savory profile. If it tastes too acidic, add a bit more sugar or honey. If it’s too sweet, add more vinegar. If it tastes flat, it needs more salt. The balance of flavors is personal preference, so adjust until it tastes perfect to you. Remove and discard the bay leaf. The soup should be aromatic, deeply flavorful, and a gorgeous deep purple color.
12. Add Fresh Herbs
Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh chopped dill and parsley. Fresh herbs added at the end brighten the soup and add a fresh, vibrant note that complements the sweet, tender cabbage. Dill is particularly traditional with cabbage in Eastern European cooking. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried, but use about half the amount and add them during the simmering stage rather than at the end.
13. Blend Partially (Optional)
For a thicker, creamier soup, you can use an immersion blender to partially blend about one-third of the soup right in the pot. This breaks down some of the vegetables and creates a thicker base while still leaving plenty of texture from the cabbage and other vegetables. Alternatively, transfer 2 cups of the soup to a regular blender, puree until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. This step is completely optional but creates a different, more cohesive texture.
14. Let It Rest
Let the soup rest off the heat for about 10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and the soup to cool from boiling hot to just hot. The soup will thicken slightly as it cools. Red cabbage soup is actually even better the next day after the flavors have had time to develop overnight, so don’t hesitate to make it ahead. The cabbage continues to absorb the flavors and becomes even more tender.
15. Serve Hot
Ladle the hot soup into bowls. The soup should be a stunning deep purple color with visible shreds of tender cabbage, chunks of vegetables, and if you used it, pieces of sausage or bacon. The broth should be flavorful and slightly thick from the potato breaking down. Top each bowl with a generous dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The cool, tangy cream creates a beautiful contrast against the deep purple soup and adds richness.
16. Garnish Beautifully
Garnish each bowl with extra fresh dill, a crack of black pepper, and perhaps a drizzle of olive oil for shine. The sour cream will slowly melt into the hot soup, creating beautiful purple swirls. Some people like to add a sprinkle of caraway seeds on top as well. Serve with thick slices of crusty rye bread, pumpernickel, or sourdough for dipping. The bread is essential for soaking up the flavorful broth.
17. Serving Suggestions
Red cabbage soup can be a light meal on its own with bread, or you can make it more substantial by serving it as a first course before a main dish. It pairs wonderfully with roasted meats, especially pork or duck. A simple cucumber salad with dill and vinegar makes a refreshing side. Boiled or roasted potatoes can be served alongside if you want to make it heartier. The soup is filling enough to be a complete meal, especially if you added sausage or bacon.
18. Storage and Reheating
Store leftover soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The soup actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have melded. The cabbage will continue to absorb liquid, so you may need to add more broth or water when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Add fresh herbs after reheating to brighten the flavor.
19. Traditional Variations
Different Eastern European countries have their own versions of red cabbage soup. Polish kapusniak includes sauerkraut along with fresh cabbage. Ukrainian borscht sometimes features red cabbage instead of or along with beets. German rotkohl suppe is often sweeter with apples added. Russian versions might include beef short ribs for richness. Some recipes add sauerkraut juice for extra tanginess. Experiment with these variations to find your favorite version.
20. Nutrition Information Per Serving
- Calories: 165
- Total fat: 6 grams
- Saturated fat: 1 gram
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams (if vegetarian)
- Sodium: 890 milligrams
- Total carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Dietary fiber: 6 grams
- Sugars: 13 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
21. Helpful Tips for Perfect Red Cabbage Soup
- Add vinegar early in the cooking process to help preserve the beautiful purple color of the cabbage.
- Don’t rush the simmering time as the cabbage needs long, slow cooking to become sweet and tender.
- Taste and adjust the sweet-sour balance at the end as this is what makes the soup special.
- Use a sharp knife to shred the cabbage thinly for the most tender texture in the final soup.
- Make this soup a day ahead as the flavors improve dramatically after sitting overnight.
- Always serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt for authentic Eastern European presentation and flavor.
- Add a diced apple along with the cabbage for extra sweetness and a traditional German touch.
- Include a ham bone or smoked pork hock during simmering for incredible depth of flavor.
- Store in glass containers as the vibrant purple color can stain plastic containers.
- Double the recipe easily as this soup freezes perfectly and makes excellent meal prep for busy weeks.
