Cabbage and Sausage Soup

Our Easy Cabbage and Sausage Soup Recipe is a simple, hearty soup packed with tons of flavor thanks to red cabbage and Polish sausage! We love cabbage soup in the winter – it is simple, healthy, bursting with flavor – and full of ingredients you can feel good about. It warms you up without making you feel heavy or greasy.

This cabbage and sausage soup is suited to a keto diet – but if you're following the low carb eating plan (our husband has completely changed the way he looks and feels from it, so we have taken it back up again lately) cabbage is not only keto, it's also low in carbohydrates.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Cabbage and Sausage Soup

This hearty and good Easy Cabbage and Sausage Soup tastes like a cabbage roll with sausage – but in a rich, comforting hot soup! This one pot cabbage roll soup is low carb, making this a keto cabbage soup recipe you can eat over and over again without the guilt! While we are making this easy cabbage and sausage soup on the stovetop, it can easily be made in the slow cooker!

Keto Cabbage Sausage Soup Ingredients

First assemble the following ingredients:

• Olive oil (2 tbsp) – Olive oil helps sauté the vegetables and kielbasa, building flavor and preventing sticking.
• Red cabbage (½ head, diced) – Red cabbage adds a tender bite, natural sweetness, and a deeper color to the soup.
• White onion (½) – White onion provides a savory base flavor and sweetness as it cooks down.
• Stalks celery (3, diced) – Celery adds aromatic freshness and a subtle crunch that softens into a savory texture.
• Carrot (1, diced) – Carrot contributes mild sweetness and body, helping round out the soup's flavors.
• Sea salt (1 tsp) – Sea salt enhances and balances the flavors of every ingredient.
• Pepper (1 tsp, freshly cracked) – Freshly cracked pepper adds warmth and complexity with a slightly sharper bite.
• Diced garlic (2 tbsp) – Garlic brings bold, fragrant flavor and a savory depth that permeates the soup.
• Hungarian paprika (1 tbsp) – Hungarian paprika adds smoky-sweet warmth and a rich, earthy color to the broth.
• Dried oregano (1 tbs) – Dried oregano contributes herbal, slightly bitter notes that make the flavor more layered.
• Smoked polska kielbasa (1 lb, sliced into rounds) – Kielbasa adds smoky, salty, and savory richness while infusing the broth with meat flavor.
• Beef broth (3 cups) – Beef broth forms the main liquid base, providing strong savory flavor and depth.
• Water (2 cups) – Water helps loosen the soup to the desired consistency while extending the broth flavor.
• Bay leaf (1) – Bay leaf adds a gentle herbal aroma that becomes more noticeable as the soup simmers.

Steps to Make Sausage and Cabbage Soup

Once you have assembled the ingredients, use this method:

Sauté Onions. In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil until shimmery. Add diced onion and cook until softening.

Add Veg and Season. Add in diced cabbage, carrots, garlic, and celery and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. Season well with salt and pepper, oregano, and paprika.

Add Meat and Finish. Stir in kielbasa and let cook another 4-5 minutes until warmed and lightly browned. Stir in water, bay leaf, and stock and bring to a rapid boil. Let reduce for about 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Kitchen notes

Slow Cooker Version. Follow these simple steps to get a good Slow Cooker Sausage and Cabbage Soup Recipe:

• Add all ingredients except stock to slow cooker and let cook down, about 2 hours, until vegetables are soft.
• Stir in stock, water, and herbs and cover – cook until piping hot and well combined, about 1-2 hours.
• If freezing, brown the vegetables quickly – so they have a little color – but don't let them get soft. Thawing will make vegetables in this soup break down even more, so we recommend only briefly softening them for flavor – not to get soft – when freezing this easy sausage and cabbage soup.

Don't skip browning vegetables. This soup relies on simple, rustic flavors from the vegetables and herbs – not from tons of crazy ingredients. To get the most flavor, let your vegetables cook down and brown slightly.

Don't overcook. Don't leave soup cooking on the stove forever – it will turn to mush! Cook soup to hot, and brown vegetables – but don't leave simmering.

Use what you have on hand. Don't have a specific ingredient? Don't sweat it! This recipe is insanely versatile, so you can swap out something you have for something you dont – or change up the ingredients to create a cabbage roll soup that you love!

Serve it with

This soup pairs perfectly with lots of different sides – some of our favorites are below!

Try our favorite Khachapuri Georgian Cheese BreadEasy Sour Cream Cornbread RecipeBacon and Broccoli Charred SaladEasy No Knead Bread10 Minute BroccoliniSauteed Zucchini and SquashThe Best Easy Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls Recipeand The Best Easy Irish Brown Soda Bread Recipe.

Try our favorite other soups next time like 20 Minute Creamy Sausage and Mushroom SoupOne Pot Cheesy Chicken Taco Skillet SoupEasy Loaded Leftover Mashed Potato SoupSlow Cooker Creamy Sausage and Broccoli Cheese SoupOne Pot Hamburger Cabbage Soupand Spicy Black Bean Soup.

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Cabbage and Sausage Soup FAQ's

Can we freeze cabbage soup?

This soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to four months.
Let soup fully thaw in refrigerator before reheating, add to pan and simmer under piping hot to serve.

Can we use different vegetables?

You can swap other vegetables, or add up to a cup of other vegetables you love to this soup.

Can we add beans to cabbage sausage soup?

Add a can of rinsed kidney beans to this recipe for a hearty protein packed addition.
Adding beans to the recipe is not considered keto.

Can we add potatoes to cabbage sausage soup?

You can add 1-2 cups of boiler potatoes, diced into 1u0022 chunks, for a good hearty addition to this soup.
Adding potatoes to the recipe is not considered keto.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ head red cabbage, diced
• ½ white onion
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper, freshly cracked
• 2 tbsp diced garlic
• 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 lb smoked polska kielbasa, sliced into rounds
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

Method

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil until shimmery.
2. Add diced onion and cook until softening.
3. Add in diced cabbage, carrots, garlic, and celery and cook until lightly browned and fragrant.
4. Season well with salt and pepper, oregano, and paprika.
5. Stir in kielbasa and let cook another 4-5 minutes until warmed and lightly browned.
6. Stir in water, bay leaf, and stock and bring to a rapid boil. Let reduce for about 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy!