Easy Cabbage Soup

Looking down at a bowl of diet cabbage soup.

5 from 15 votes

This easy cabbage soup combines tender cabbage and potatoes with tomatoes and smoked paprika in a flavourful broth. It's vegan, budget-friendly, ready in just 30 minutes, and only 98 calories.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Cost: $5

Equipment

Soup pot

Ingredients

1 teaspoon oil omit if using a non-stick pot
1 onion chopped
1 ½ cups peeled chopped potatoes 2 small potatoes, 250g
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock
2 cups (450ml) water
1 14oz/495g can chopped tomatoes
2 cups (450g) chopped cabbage
Large pinch freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned.
Add the potatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn't catch.
Pour in the vegetable stock and water, then add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.
Stir in the cabbage and black pepper and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender but still has some texture.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add a splash of hot water or stock if you'd prefer a thinner broth, then divide between bowls and serve.

Notes

Cut the potatoes fairly small. The soup cooks quickly, so large potato chunks won't have enough time to soften before the cabbage is ready.
Don't add the cabbage too early. Potatoes need considerably longer to cook. Adding the cabbage later keeps it from becoming overly soft.
Cook the paprika before adding the liquid. A short minute in the pan helps release its smoky aroma, but don't let it scorch.
Season after adding the stock. Vegetable stocks vary enormously in saltiness. Taste at the end rather than automatically adding salt at the beginning.
Adjust the broth to suit you. Cabbage releases some water as it cooks, so I wouldn't add extra liquid until the end. It's easy to thin the soup but harder to undo an overly watery broth.
Don't worry when the pot initially looks full of cabbage. It collapses quickly once stirred into the hot broth.
For the best leftovers, don't overcook the cabbage initially. It softens a little more when the soup is reheated the following day.

Nutrition