Cabbage and sausage soup is easy to make and freezes well, making this a great option for meal prep. You can make this hearty soup with mostly basic pantry ingredients in only about 45 minutes (or, use the included crock pot instructions!).
Note: this post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2026 with new photos and improved instructions.
Cabbage is an underrated vegetable in my opinion! It's affordable and lasts a long time in the fridge (maybe even longer than three weeks, according to this article on cabbage storage).
So when you have an old cabbage lying around in the fridge, you know it's time to make soup! This cabbage sausage soup is one of my favorites because you can make it with accessible ingredients and there isn't too much prep involved.
I've included crock pot and freezing instructions as well, so you can use this cabbage soup recipe whenever and however you need.
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Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Kielbasa: you will need one package of smoked kielbasa. Most packages in the US vary from 12 - 14 ounces, so anything in that range is fine. If you don't want to use kielbasa, you can substitute any type of smoked sausage.
- Broth: you can use either beef or chicken broth/stock, or even vegetable broth if that's what you have on hand. Low-sodium broth is a good option if you want to reduce the sodium in the recipe.
How to chop cabbage for soup:
- First, remove any damaged and/or tough outer leaves and rinse the cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise. Flip one cabbage half cut side down. Then cut it in half again lengthwise.
- Make a diagonal cut on each quarter to remove the core.
- Once the core is removed, cut the cabbage in a grid pattern to form bite-sized pieces.
Step by step photos
Here is a breakdown of how to make the cabbage sausage soup:
Step 1
Cut the veggies and slice the kielbasa sausage on an angle. (See above for tips on how to cut the cabbage!)
Step 2
Brown both sides of the kielbasa slices in the butter.
Step 3
When the sausages are browned, add in the chopped onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes.
Then add in the thyme, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir and cook the mixture for another minute or so.
Step 4
Add in the cabbage, carrots, bay leaf, and broth. Stir and press down any carrot or cabbage pieces so everything is submerged in the liquid. Simmer the soup until the veggies are soft.
Step 5
When the soup is ready, turn off the heat. Taste the soup and if it needs it, you can season with salt and/or more black pepper to taste.
Tips and tricks
- To bring the soup to a simmer more quickly, you can add a lid to the pot. But, once the soup is simmering, remove the lid and allow the soup to simmer uncovered for the remaining time.
- If you happen to be using an especially large diameter carrot, cut it in half lengthwise before slicing it. This will help it cook more quickly and evenly.
Storage and reheating instructions
How to store (fridge and freezer):
- Once the soup has cooled down, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight food storage container for 3 - 4 days.
- Cabbage kielbasa soup also freezes well. Although, the carrots and cabbage will have a softer texture after freezing.
- To freeze the soup, let it first cool down, then place it into an airtight food storage container. Allow some head room at the top of the container since the liquid will expand as it freezes. The soup will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat:
- To reheat from the fridge, microwave a single serving in a microwave-safe bowl for a few minutes on high, stirring after each minute of cook time, until hot. Or, reheat it in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.
- To reheat from the freezer, allow the soup to partially thaw in the fridge overnight, then follow the reheating instructions above.
- No time to thaw? Just follow the same reheating instructions, but know it will take several more minutes until heated through.
Crock pot directions
This soup recipe is really easy to adapt to the slow cooker.
- First, brown the kielbasa in butter as instructed in the recipe.
- Then, transfer the browned sausage and butter to a large slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients. But, reduce the broth to 6 ½ cups instead of 8.
- Cook the soup on low for 6 - 8 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. If needed, add a bit more broth before serving.
(By the way, if you're feeling really low-energy, you don't even need to brown the kielbasa. Just throw everything in the crock pot and it will still taste great.)
Recipe FAQs
The soup can be served for either lunch or dinner, paired with a sandwich, wrap, green salad, and/or a side of hearty crusty bread. This soup would also taste great garnished with croutons, crackers, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, and/or freshly-cracked black pepper.
There are no ingredients in this soup recipe that inherently have gluten, such as flour. However, if you need to be sure the soup is 100% gluten free, you should always check all the package ingredients you are using, or look up the brands online, to make sure they are listed as gluten free. (Sometimes there can be issues with cross-contamination, even with products that don't seem like they would contain gluten.)
Yes, this cabbage sausage soup is easy to double. You will need quite a large pot however! And, the soup will take longer to come to a simmer, extending the cooking time a bit.
Other hearty soups:
If you've tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!
Print📖 Recipe
Cabbage and Sausage Soup
This cabbage and sausage soup is hearty but not too heavy, and full of flavor from garlic, onion, thyme, and bay leaf. It's simple to prep, and it freezes and reheats well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: main course, entree
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds (794 g) green cabbage (about 1 medium cabbage), core removed and chopped
- 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 package smoked kielbasa sausage (12 - 14 ounces/304 - 397 g), sliced on an angle ~⅓" thick
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
- 2 tablespoons (33 g) tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups (1.9 L) beef or chicken broth
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, add the sliced kielbasa to the pot and spread it out evenly. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring only once or twice, to allow a brown crust to form on the sausage.
- When the kielbasa is browned, add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomato paste, dried thyme, and black pepper to the pot. Stir and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, bay leaf, and broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Press down the cabbage and carrots so they are submerged in the liquid. Turn the heat up to quickly bring the soup to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and cabbage are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. While cooking, adjust the heat as needed to maintain the simmer. If too much liquid is evaporating during cooking, add water to the soup as needed.
- When the cabbage and carrots are tender, turn off the heat. Taste the soup and add salt and/or more black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Salt is only added at the end because the broth and kielbasa are already salty. The amount of salt needed will vary based on the broth you are using and your own tastes! To reduce the sodium in the soup further, you can substitute low-sodium broth.
- To bring the soup to a simmer more quickly, you can add a lid to the pot. But, once the soup is simmering, remove the lid and allow the soup to simmer, uncovered, for the remaining time.
- This soup can be stored in the fridge for 3 - 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. To freeze the soup, first let it cool, then freeze it in an airtight food storage container, leaving enough head room at the top to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes.
Crock pot instructions:
- Brown the kielbasa in butter as instructed in the recipe.
- Transfer the browned sausage and butter to a large slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients. But, reduce the broth to 6 ½ cups instead of 8.
- Cook the soup on low for 6 - 8 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
The nutrition information below is an estimate only; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. This information was provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 1008 mg
- Fat: 15.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg
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