Red Cabbage Soup is the perfect recipe to warm you up on chilly days! This flavorful sweet & sour creamy soup is the perfect use for that half head of cabbage that’s sitting in your fridge!
Red cabbage is a surprisingly versatile kitchen staple; it can be pickled, turned into a crunchy slaw, or chopped and added to almost any salad.
For this reason, I almost always have leftover cabbage sitting in my fridge. Instead of letting it go to waste, I’d much rather use it to make this creamy, red cabbage soup!
This soup is naturally vegetarian, gluten free, and can easily be made vegan with one simple ingredient swap.
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Love
Made this soup and it is amazing! I added Greek yogurt for garnish for a bit of tang. The dill was the nice herbaceous flavour to top it off! Definitely a keeper recipe!
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Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Red Cabbage – You can also make this soup with green cabbage, but it won’t have the same vibrant color.
- Shallots – Feel free to swap a small yellow onion if you can’t find shallots.
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable Stock – Or, for a non-vegetarian version, you can use bone broth or chicken stock.
- Potato – This lends a creaminess and gives a good body to the soup.
- Apple – I used a red apple. This gives the soup a hint of sweetness.
- Red Wine Vinegar – Adds that hint of brightness at the end. Lemon juice also works.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Brown Sugar + Paprika – For a little heat, try adding in a pinch of cayenne.
- Heavy Cream – For a vegan version, use coconut milk.
- Salt + Pepper
- Fresh Dill + Sour Cream – For topping.
How to make it
- Saute the Aromatics: In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until softened. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add Vegetables and Spices: Add the cabbage, stock, potatoes, apple, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and paprika.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Blend: Remove pot from heat and using a blender or an immersion blender, process the soup until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve: Garnish with sour cream and fresh dill, if desired. Enjoy!
Tips and substitutions
- To make this red cabbage soup vegan, replace the heavy cream with coconut milk and swap the sour cream for plain plant-based yogurt.
- I love to sprinkle crushed nuts, croutons, thin sliced cabbage, microgreens, edible flowers, fresh herbs, or a little paprika on the top of my red cabbage soup.
- If you don’t have a blender, make the soup in a food processor or blend it in a large bowl using an immersion blender.
How to make ahead and store
Yes! You can make this soup up to 4 days in advance. Store the finished soup in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm on the stove over medium-low heat.
Can I freeze red cabbage soup?
I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture is never the same when it thaws.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Gruner Veltliner
- Cava
- Prosecco
More soup recipes
More red cabbage recipes
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Full Recipe
Red Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5 cups red cabbage (coarsely chopped, about ½ head)
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 large russet potato (peeled and cubed)
- 1 medium apple (peeled and cubed)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For Topping
Instructions
- Heat the 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the 2 shallots and saute 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the 3 cloves garlic and cook 30 seconds longer, until fragrant.
- Add the 5 cups red cabbage, 6 cups vegetable stock, 1 large russet potato, 1 medium apple, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and using a blender or an immersion blender, process the soup until smooth. Stir in the ¼ cup heavy cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with sour cream and fresh dill, if desired. Enjoy!
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