When it comes to healthy, easy dinner recipes, this Mediterranean cabbage soup always makes the cut. It’s loaded with veggies, warming spices like turmeric and ginger, and only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time.
When I Need a Reset I Make This Cabbage Soup Recipe
- I love it because it only takes about 10 minutes of prep time. And I’m not alone! My cabbage soup recipe went viral on YouTube and has more than 2 million views!
- It’s vegan, nutrient-rich, and loaded with vegetables
- Cabbage is one of the most affordable vegetables you can buy, making it not only healthy but also budget-friendly.
- It has one of my favorite flavor combinations—turmeric and ginger, adding warmth and loads of flavor.
Key Ingredients
Aside from its super-ingredients, this soup is comforting, aromatic, and, most importantly, a delicious recipe you’ll want to make on repeat. I call it my detox cabbage soup because everything in it is so good for you!
- Olive oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor and antioxidant-boost.
- Vegetables: Onion and garlic, green cabbage, celery, carrots, canned diced tomato
- Spices turmeric, cumin, coriander, fresh ginger, lemon, parsley, and green onion add complex peppery, earthy, savory, and bright flavors.
- Aleppo pepper adds a mild and bright kick. You can substitute with Urfa biber or red pepper flakes.
- Vegetable broth: Make your own with leftover veggie scraps, use a high-quality store-bought variety, or substitute with chicken stock or broth.
How to Make this Cabbage Soup Recipe
With a vibrant blend of spices and punchy aromatics like garlic and ginger, you can develop a deep flavor in 40 minutes. Here’s how:
- Prep the vegetables. Chop 1 onion. Mince 3 garlic cloves (see my tips for how to mince garlic). Core and chop one head of green cabbage. Chop 2 celery sticks. Slice 2 carrots into thin rounds.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with a lid, set over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant (adjust the heat down to make sure the garlic does not burn).
- Soften the veggies. Add the cabbage, celery, carrots, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. It helps to cover the pot partway so that the cabbage will wilt easily.
- Season. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper. Toss to coat the vegetables with the spices.
- Simmer. Add a (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes (with their juices) and 3 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot part way allowing just a small opening at the top. Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Finish and Serve. While the soup simmers, slice 3 green onions (both white and green parts). Chop 1 cup parsley, peel and finely grate a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger. Zest a large lemon, then slice it in half and capture its juice. Turn the heat off and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Ways to Make this Recipe Your Own
- Swap green cabbage with Napa cabbage or savoy cabbage. I would avoid red cabbage as it has a pronounced peppery flavor, and the red color will leach into the soup.
- Add a can of chickpeas or white beans like cannellini or navy beans for a boost of fiber and plant-based protein.
- Substitute canned whole tomatoes for a more rustic vibe. Just crush them with the back of a spoon.
- Add shredded poached chicken for extra protein (rotisserie chicken would work well.)
What to Serve with Cabbage Soup
This vegan cabbage soup is hearty enough on its own; you don’t need any sides. But soup, salad, and bread are a classic combination.
- Bread: A quick-rising fresh bread, like simit or challah, is a special treat, but something rich like Rosemary Focaccia or crusty like French baguettes or even Olive Bread are good for dipping.
- Salads: I love a good salad, but the cabbage soup has loads of vegetables in it, so I like to keep my salads simple. Caesar Salad is always at the top of my list, but this butter lettuce salad is a new favorite. If I don’t add beans to the soup, sometimes I will pair the soup with this wilted spinach salad just to get in some extra fiber and dark leafy greens.
I Have a Thing for Cabbage Recipes
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you already know how much I love cabbage. It’s an underappreciated vegetable, so I do what I can to put it front and center. It’s endlessly versatile, totally affordable, and easy to stretch a meal made with cabbage to feed a crowd. If you love this simple cruciferous vegetable as much as I do, try these recipes (after you’ve made the cabbage soup, of course!):
- “Sexy” Roasted Cabbage with Dukkah and Tahini (That’s right! I think cabbage is sexy!)
- Cacio e Pepe Cabbage
- Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Greek Cabbage Rice
- Cabbage Steaks with Chermoula and Toasted Nuts
- Sauteed Cabbage with Garlic and Lime
In this weeknight-friendly recipe, a whole head of cabbage stews with warming Mediterranean spices and aromatic veggies until it's silky-smooth and loaded with flavor. Vegan gluten free, this nourishing soup is where health food and comfort food join forces!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomato
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup chopped parsley leaves (from about 1 bunch parsley)
- 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with a lid, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant (adjust the heat as necessary to make sure the garlic does not burn).
- Soften the veggies. Add the cabbage, celery, carrots, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened somewhat, about 5 to 7 minutes (it helps to cover the pot partway so that the cabbage will wilt easily).
- Season. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper and toss to coat the vegetables with the spices.
- Simmer. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices) and the broth. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot part way allowing just a small opening at the top. Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Finish and serve. Turn the heat off and stir in the parsley, chopped green onions, ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Storage: Allow to cool, then store in your refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup in your refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stove or in your microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 131.3kcalCarbohydrates: 20.7gProtein: 4.2gFat: 5.3gSaturated Fat: 0.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.6gSodium: 151.9mgPotassium: 606.7mgFiber: 7.2gSugar: 9.5gVitamin A: 4591.7IUVitamin C: 89mgCalcium: 125.3mgIron: 2.7mg
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Colorful and absolutely delicious! I made the recipe as written (including a full teaspoon of Aleppo pepper). The textures and layers of flavor were a big hit at dinner. I served the soup with the No-Knead Olive Bread (also from this site) which made for a delicious and satisfying meal that got rave reviews.
Sounds like a yummy dinner! Thanks, Kaye!
I just made the Cabbage Soup. OMGosh it is fabulous. I just love all the flavors. I would never have thought of the lemon and ginger. Thank you soooooo much!!
Thanks for the great review, Laura!
This was so delicious! My husband and I were both under the weather and this felt so nourishing. I did add a can of cannellini beans too but so good without! Thanks for the great recipe!
Great idea adding the beans, Laura! Thanks for sharing!
The unexpected impact of the large lemon and lemon zest was a real treat. I have come to know that I can trust Mediterranean Dish recipes and this one did not disappoint.
Thank you Suzy for another simple, yet unique and healthy recipe. The flavor combination took cabbage soup to a new level. I added Portuguese sausage that I needed to use up, but this recipe would definitely stand on its own without it. Yum!
Sounds like a delicious addition! Thanks for sharing, Lynn!
Very easy to make and full of delicious flavor. Since I like extra spicy soup I added some Gochjuang paste. 😉
Thank you
Very tasty as well as healthy. I added chickpeas and some shredded chicken.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
This is absolutely delicious!!! I added more vegetable broth and left out the ginger, as I am not a fan. It took me much longer than the recipe indicated, but was well worth the time.
Easy to follow directions and a comforting healthy soup.
I absolutely love this soup, it is a new favorite of mine. Wonderful combination of flavors! Like many other comments I like to add a can of chick peas.
My one comment is that this definitely isn’t only ten minutes of hands on time, with all of the chopping it takes much longer to prep. It is well with the effort and time, but expect to spend longer than ten minutes working!
Absolutely delicious and feel-good soup. May try adding some quinoa next time.
Made this for dinner tonight… so refreshing and delicious. Added garbanzo beans for plant protein. Next time I will use a smaller lemon as it was a little lemon forward. Question, instead of parsley what do you think of adding spinach for green? All of that said… I will definitely be making this again.
I think that sounds delicious, Gee!
Best cabbage soup recipie, and easy!!
I used cumin seeds and crushed coriander seeds instead of the ground herbs and added them in with the garlic and onions
Deliscious! I would never have tired all of these spices together, but so glad I did! The lemon added at the end blends the spices together in such a beautiful flavor. Amazing!
We love hearing this, Dawn! Thanks for sharing!
This was fantastic! My head of cabbage was large so added another cup of broth and more carrots and celery and it was still spectacular.
I made this tonight and thought it was good. I mistakenly bought crushed tomatoes but they worked fine also I had some tomato sauce in the fridge I needed to use and threw that in. I also added cannellini beans and some lentils. Used chicken broth and put in 4 cups rather than 3 and glad I did. I reluctantly added the chopped parsley as directed but I really don’t care for parsley but gave it a chance anyway and as I predicted I did not like and won’t add it next time.
The soup had a great flavor so I will definitely put this one in the keep box.
That’s great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share your process here, Janice! We appreciate it!
So good. I have made it 4 times now. I follow the recipe. Simple ingredients, amazing flavor.
Thanks, Jan!