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Quick and Easy Cabbage Patch Soup Recipe

This delicious Cabbage Patch Soup is a blend of hearty ground beef, cabbage, kidney beans and tomatoes all swimming in a rich, flavorful beef based broth. It makes a scrumptious dairy free soup that can be enjoyed by many.

This soup also freezes well and makes wonderful leftovers, so don’t be afraid to make a large batch and set some aside for another meal. We enjoy this soup with fresh homemade Dinner Rolls or French Bread. It is a great family meal with a depth of flavor that everyone loves.

Cabbage Soup In A White Bowl On A Blue Plaid Cloth

What is traditional Cabbage Soup made of?

In its simplest form, Cabbage Soup is made from good quality, fresh cabbage, onions, canned tomatoes, chicken stock and spices. It is a modest soup that depends largely on the technique used to make it, as well as the quality of ingredients to yield a delicious, yet basic soup.

We are all most familiar with adaptations to Cabbage Soup which include adding a protein like ground beef and sometimes pork sausage, kidney beans, and extra veggies such as carrots or even kale.

Our recipe originally came from Snohomish Washington where a neighbor was raised. They have Irish roots and love serving this soup for Holidays like St. Patricks Day. This soup is so popular you can find it by googling Cabbage Patch Soup Snohomish. Our family has loved this recipe for decades.

Is Cabbage Patch Soup healthy?

Cabbage Soup is a wonderful soup that ranks high on the health meters. It is diary and gluten free, making it friendly for many diet preferences. It is a high protein soup with a low fat broth base that will not add unnecessary calories. Cabbage is also a healthy vegetable that provides fiber, vitamins k and c and is low in calories.

In its most traditional form, Cabbage Soup is vegetarian but you can up the protein by adding either red meats or beans if you desire.

Cabbage Patch Soup In A White Bowl On A Blue Plaid Cloth

Does simmering soup make it taste better?

Most soups call for low and slow cook times, there is good reason for this as it allows the ingredients to develop and deepen. Slow cooking and simmering will yield a richer flavor in your soup and will help the ingredients to release their natural oils and essence. Texture is also greatly improved the longer you allow a soup to cook, everything will soften and blend, while at the same time, absorbing the flavors of other ingredients that they have been paired with.

Soups can of course be whipped together quickly as nutritious bowls of goodness, but if you want the very best flavor development take time to simmer and slowly cook the soup.

Cabbage Patch Soup
Cabbage Patch Soup with kidney beans.

How do I freeze Cabbage Patch Soup?

Cabbage Patch soup stores and freezes very well. It can be kept in your freezer for 3 months without compromising flavor or texture, and it can be stored in your fridge as leftovers for 3-4 days. After you soup has cooked, remove it from the heat source allowing it to cool completely. Transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge.

For freezing, make sure the soup has cooled completely, then transfer it to a freezer safe airtight container. Be sure to write the date on the container and store it level in your freezer. To reheat, remove the container from you freezer and move it to your fridge allowing it to thaw overnight. Once it has thawed, transfer the soup into a large stock pot and slowly reheat on your oven range.

Cabbage Patch Soup Recipe

Cabbage Patch soup has a long history that originated in Russia in the 9th century. There were early variations of it which included the use of spinach, sauerkraut and other ingredients, which changes its name. But in it’s most simple form it is a cabbage soup with very few accompanying ingredients.

Americans are most familiar with recipes like the one we are sharing which includes extra ingredients, bringing it into the realm of a hearty soup that can stand alone as a full meal.

Making this soup is very easy and if needed, it can be enjoyed within 30 minutes, though we always recommend allowing soups to cook for as long as possible to ensure the best flavor development. We are sharing all three cooking methods below.

More Delicious Soups:

Slow Cooker method

If you are going to be gone all day here’s how to make this soup in your crock pot.

We recommend you brown the hamburger first, then load the crockpot with all the other ingredients and set it on high for four hours.

The reason for browning the hamburger is to enhance the flavor and texture of the meat. We don’t recommend you throw raw hamburger into the crockpot, stock pot or Instant Pot and cook the soup. The meat flavor will be weak and the texture won’t be as pleasant.

Cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. If your slow cooker automatically goes to the keep warm function you can set it 6 hours on low and  it won’t overcook no matter how long you are away from home.

Cabbage Patch Soup Fresh Veggies. Onion, Celery And Cabbage
Cabbage patch soup fresh vegetables. Onion, celery and cabbage.

Stove Top method

This is the traditional way to prepare this soup. It’s a spectacular one pot meal that can be ready in 30 minutes

  • Brown hamburger, celery and onion in a large soup pot.
  • Add remaining ingredients and allow to boil gently for 20 minutes on medium high heat.
  • Simmer the soup up to two hours to improve the flavor. You can eat it within 30 minutes if you prefer.
Cabbage Patch Soup
Cabbage Patch Soup

Instant Pot method

The Instant Pot provides a simple, quick method for cooking this soup

  1. Start the saute function and add the ground beef.
  2. Let it brown a bit and add the celery and onion.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and use the soup function set to 20 minutes to cook it.
  4. Quick release and enjoy!
Cabbage Patch Soup
Cabbage Patch Soup
Cabbage Soup In A White Bowl On A Blue Plaid Cloth
Yield: 10

Cabbage Patch Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Delicious homemade Cabbage Patch soup! Hamburger and cabbage team up with kidney beans to create a filling, healthy meal for your family. Quick and easy High-Fiber, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb. Hamburger
  • 4 to 5 stalks celery-diced
  • 1/2 medium onion-diced
  • 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili powder
  • 1 15 oz. can tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can kidney beans
  • 1 15 oz. can beef broth or equivalent
  • 1 15 oz. Can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 medium head green cabbage

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef in large soup pot
  2. Remove ground beef and drain out excess grease.
  3. Add the celery, onion, and garlic into the soup pot, sauté until transluscent and fragrant.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and allow to boil gently for 20 minutes on medium high heat
  5. Simmer the soup up to two hours to improve the flavor.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

For the crockpot:

  1. Brown the hamburger
  2. Sauté onions, garlic, and celery.
  3. Add the ingredients into the crockpot.
  4. Set it on high for four hours.
  5. Serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 244Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 37mgSodium 781mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 15g

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Cabbage And Kidney Bean Soup Recipe-Pin Image
Delicious homemade Cabbage Patch soup with kidney beans. Hamburger and cabbage team up with kidney beans and lots of flavorful additions to create a healthy meal for your family.
This Healthy soup is published as part of AnItalianinmykitchen’s 12 comforting bowls of Soup
This post was originally published September 28, 2014. It has been updated and republished with new pictures and video.

Tina Melton

Friday 16th of September 2022

Just made the CABBAGE PATCH SOUP” It was a big hit in our house and will be a favorite 🤩 Easy to make so flavorful and very Healthy! Win Win all they way around!! Thank you!

Diane

Friday 16th of September 2022

That's so great to hear. Thanks a million for letting us know. Enjoy!

Candy

Saturday 24th of July 2021

I have been making this soup for at least 20 years. I got the recipe from the old River City Cafe in Marysville WA, not too far from Snohomish. Years ago I switched to using a bag or 2 of coleslaw mix instead of the cabbage. And now I also make it in the instant pot. It’s a family favorite!

Nancy

Tuesday 7th of February 2023

@Candy, There is another small cafe on CedarNanMarysville, maybe they changed their name, but never the less the cabbage patch soup was delicious. But I never thought about using bages of coleslaw mix, great idea. Thank you for giving this idea.

Diane

Monday 26th of July 2021

Hi Candy, I LOVE the tip about using a coleslaw mix for this soup. thanks for sharing your story with this recipe. I got it from a friend with ties to Marysville. Small world! Have a wonderful day!

Loretta

Wednesday 15th of January 2020

Hello , What kind of onion,sweet,yellow or white? Thanks

Diane

Wednesday 15th of January 2020

Normally I would choose a yellow onion for this recipe. You can use whatever you have though. This soup is fairly flexible. I will use a white onion, walla walla sweet or vidalia if they are in my fridge. Maybe not a red as they bleed. Hope this helps! Enjoy.

Loretta

Wednesday 11th of December 2019

Oh My Gosh , my 6 quart crockpot is filled to the very top ,Is the cabbage going to shrink while it cooks?

Diane

Wednesday 11th of December 2019

Hi Loretta, The cabbage will cook down. Just set the lid on it and it will be fine. If you notice the juice bubbling around the lid after the cabbage reduces you can skim some of it off. Hope that helps. :)

Loretta

Wednesday 11th of December 2019

Hi , I am making this for tonights dinner ,I have another question, I have 80/20 ground beef do i drain the fat from this ? Thanks Loretta

Diane

Wednesday 11th of December 2019

Hi loretta, Yes, for high fat hamburger I would drain it after browning. Enjoy!

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