Have you noticed I have been making a lot of soups with sausage or ground meat lately? I have and I have to say, I don’t see this trend stopping anytime soon. It is just so convenient and makes throwing together a pot of soup so much quicker.
This Italian Sausage and Cabbage Soup was born out of convenience (and cold weather!). This past weekend, we had pretty much no groceries left in the house except for a head of cabbage, some carrots and a couple packages of Italian Sausage in the freezer. Since I always have garlic, onions and canned tomatoes of some sort in my pantry, I am not counting those.
I had the idea to make this soup a while ago but I always imagined fresh parsley as part of the equation. When I realized that all I had left in my house were these ingredients (except for the parsley!), I decided to go for it anyway.
This is a hardy winter soup, loaded with vegetables and sausage in every bite. Mild in flavor but with a nice balance from the tomatoes, this will please everyone in the family (kid approved!). Since I prefer a bit of heat, I sprinkled some crushed red pepper flakes on mine but that is totally optional.
If you have fresh parsley on hand, I think a tablespoon or so (finely chopped) added in right before serving would be fantastic!
NOTES:
- I used a local brand of Italian Sausage (Isernio’s) that is free of Gluten, MSG and anything artificial. Be sure to read your labels carefully and note that the seasonings in the brand you buy may slightly change the flavor of the soup. Subbing Spicy Sausage would be excellent if you want more of a kick!
- If you want to use Chicken or Turkey Sausage, you may need to add an additional tablespoon of oil and use it for cooking the Chicken Sausage, as the meat is lower in fat and may stick.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
8 Points Plus Per Serving -- Serves 8 -- Individual Serving Size is Approximately 2
- 1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage removed from casing and crumbled
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium or 1 extra large onion halved and thinly sliced
- 5 to 6 medium cloves garlic finely chopped
- 4 medium carrots cleaned and cut into 1/4" rounds
- 1 head green cabbage about 2 pounds, core removed and shredded
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus a couple pinches
- freshly ground black pepper
- 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes unsalted
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- crushed red pepper flakes for serving optional
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Remove sausage meat from casing. The easiest way to remove the uncooked sausage from the casings is to slice a vertical cut down the center of each sausage. Then just pick them up and “peel” off the casing – takes seconds and not that messy. (Warning: Gross Picture Alert!)
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Peel and thinly slice onion (I used my food processor to save time (with the slicing blade inserted).
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Finely chop garlic (Again, I used the food processor with the chopping blade inserted).
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Clean carrots (peel if necessary) and cut into 1/4" rounds.
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Remove core from cabbage and shred. I used the food processor with the shredding blade inserted. Alternately, you could cut the cabbage into very thin slices.
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Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add crumbled sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, mostly to break up the sausage with a wooden spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone.
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Remove sausage from pot and set aside.
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Keep the pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Once hot, toss in sliced onions along with a pinch of kosher salt and a couple turns of freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until onions are soft.
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Add in garlic and carrots, stir continuously for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.
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Raise heat to medium high and add in cabbage along with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and about 25 turns of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until cabbage begins to wilt and release some moisture.
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Add cooked sausage back in along with diced tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from heat and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Scott Harrell says
March 1, 2019 at 8:48 pmI’m going to make this tomorrow, looks delicious! Do you discard the fat from the sausage after browning or is it used in the soup?
EverydayMaven says
March 14, 2019 at 11:50 amHey Scott! I don’t unless the sausage is SUPER fatty!
Valerie Ostara says
January 18, 2019 at 8:25 pmJust made this tonight. Absolutely gorgeous! Thank for this delicious soup that goes so well with a snowy winter night in northern Canada. Mmmm.
EverydayMaven says
January 30, 2019 at 7:54 pmLove it!!! It’s another crazy cold night here – I need to make a batch asap!
Jenny S says
January 14, 2019 at 8:03 amThis soup sounds amazing! Any idea whether or not it could be prepped and cooked in the crockpot? Any idea how long in crockpot? I didn’t know if the cabbage was more mush or crisp in the soup so unsure how long to trial in the crockpot if I go that route? Thanks in advance!
EverydayMaven says
January 14, 2019 at 11:03 amHey Jenny – YES! I have made this in the slow cooker and it’s excellent. I would do 4 hours on low (but recommend browing the onion / meat first to add a layer of flavor)
Laila says
September 28, 2018 at 1:23 pmI have made this soup before… I’m sure I modified it in some way because I am a bit impulsive and would in the kitchen but I want to say I found it so memorable I have spent the past hour digging around the internet to find it again! This soup is absolutely fantastic! Everyone I feed it to last winter was head over heels for it!
EverydayMaven says
October 4, 2018 at 9:42 amYay Laila!! So glad you found it again. Make sure you subscribed to recipes so you are on my list. There is a box to sign up on my homepage 🙂
Jennifer K Zampino says
September 11, 2018 at 9:40 amThis is my go to recipe, it is delish! The leftovers are amazing! Although it is paleo, I serve it with a crusty baguette & pasture butter!
EverydayMaven says
September 17, 2018 at 8:06 amThis is on my menu for later this week – can’t wait!!!!
Stace says
October 10, 2017 at 1:40 pmI never comment on recipes, but this is my absolute favorite soup recipe ever. Best Paleo recipe that I’ve found too. This is delicious and hearty, it feels like a cheat. I do add mushrooms to mine. Amazing!!!
EverydayMaven says
October 12, 2017 at 2:57 pmWow! What an amazing comment Stace! DAY MADE and thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Josh says
July 8, 2017 at 9:44 amA heartfelt thank you for sharing this awesome soup, which has become a true staple in our home. Now, instead of dreading the arrival of cabbage in our CSA – which comes early and often – we both look forward to it.
I use spicy chicken sausage and add a squirt of Sriracha at the end, which gives it a great kick. Thank you for this glorious (and easy) recipe!
EverydayMaven says
July 14, 2017 at 10:15 amLove an extra kick with Sriracha! So glad you love this 🙂
Amanda says
May 31, 2017 at 4:47 amI was reading another blog post yesterday (Peanut Butter Fingers) and came across a link to this recipe. It was perfect timing since it was a cold and rainy day here in Boston. I had a a bag of coleslaw I needed to use up as well as some ground beef and ground sausage in the freezer which went in. It was a delicious soup and we froze the rest for a couple of other meals (after my husband went back for seconds!). Thanks for a great recipe!
EverydayMaven says
June 1, 2017 at 3:11 pmFantastic Amanda! So glad you loved it and nothing better than a stocked freezer 🙂
Michelle says
March 12, 2016 at 3:45 pmI made this for dinner for my husband and I, and we both loved it and will definitely be making it again! He doesn’t like tomatoes in soup so I added some potatoes instead, and increased the stock to make up the needed liquid. Also used Italian hot sausage. It was delicious, hearty and filling and very tasty. Thanks for the great recipe!
EverydayMaven says
March 14, 2016 at 12:41 pmLove this with hot sausage. So glad you both liked it Michelle!
Richard Cayia Rowe says
March 15, 2016 at 4:49 pmWize! I added small red potatoes, cut in quarters and partially cooked in Chicken Broth, which I’ll add back as needed.
Cynthia says
January 24, 2016 at 3:39 amTwo questions– I have Jimmy Dean pork sausage (no casing) defrosted. Think that’ll work?
Also, does this freeze well? We can never get through a whole pot of soup, as hard as I try 🙂
EverydayMaven says
February 2, 2016 at 1:40 pmIt should work and yes, it freezes GREAT!
Sandy says
January 18, 2016 at 10:55 amMy adult son came down with a terrible cold and I was going to make chicken soup for him. I had this in the freezer so I defrosted it for myself. He claims to hate cabbage but heated some of this up for himself and declared, “This stuff is a treasure.” He claims the spiciness (when I made it all I had was hot Italian sausage so I used that) and soup quality helped him become unstuffed better than anything. Forget the chicken soup, I have to go get another head of cabbage. Thank you so much. With my son loving this cabbage soup and my being already hooked, this will become a healthy soup for both of us. As a type 2 diabetic, it’s the bomb.
EverydayMaven says
January 18, 2016 at 12:52 pmHi Sandy! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and let me know how much you guys are both enjoying the soup! Tell your son I’m glad he is feeling better 🙂
Gina E. says
January 12, 2016 at 5:58 pmI liked but didn’t love this soup at first. But tonight I added some chopped baby spinach and a splash of lemon juice, and it was fantastic! Next time I’ll leave the sausage in a bit bigger pieces, but it’s definitely a keeper. Delicious, healthy and filling. Thank you so much!
Nick T says
November 9, 2015 at 4:10 pmI made a nice big pot of this today, with a few changes. I cooked the onions and carrots at the same time, along with some celery. While I was waiting for it to cook down I added some chopped mushrooms I had lying around. I think they made the base even better. Also I’m a garlic lover, so as usual, I used extra.
For broth, I used some homemade veggie broth I had in the freezer, but I must’ve used a little too many greens in the last batch, as I discovered that my broth had made the soup slightly bitter. To counteract that, I added a teaspoon of honey, a few dashes of paprika, and a little chicken boullion for extra salt. Problem solved – soup turned out delicious.
Thanks for a great recipe.
EverydayMaven says
November 10, 2015 at 10:31 amHi Nick! So glad the soup was delicious with the modifications 🙂
Daniel says
June 21, 2015 at 7:12 pmAbsolutely LOVE this recipe. Made it last week. Making it again this week. The only modification I made was to add cayenne pepper directly to the soup and also added some caraway seed when I added the carrots onions and garlic.
Easy, healthy, filling, delicious. What more could you want.
EverydayMaven says
June 23, 2015 at 1:26 pmHi Daniel – so glad you are enjoying this soup!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Vedrana says
May 12, 2015 at 5:48 amMade it today with few little changes. Wonderful! Thank you so much! 🙂
EverydayMaven says
May 12, 2015 at 9:56 amYou’re welcome Vedrana! 🙂
chloe says
February 24, 2015 at 8:44 pmThis soup has become one of my go to recipes. Tonight we were leaving for vacation so I threw in some extras to clean out the produce drawer – a few red peppers and a pack of mushrooms. Turned out super tasty as usual! So simple and healthy but so delicious and satisfying. Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
February 25, 2015 at 3:03 pmLove the idea of adding red peppers and mushrooms Chloe! 🙂
Parwald says
February 5, 2015 at 1:40 pmi just turned off the burner after making a double-batch of this soup (with my own homemade chicken broth), and it is delicious. I know my kids will love it, too. They love cabbage and sausage. Thank you for sharing. Next time, though, I’m going to try throwing it all in the crockpot.
EverydayMaven says
February 15, 2015 at 9:57 amLet me know how it works out in the slow cooker Parwald! So glad you like it 🙂
Catina says
January 19, 2015 at 5:31 pmHad leftover cooked onions & sausage from our recent campout and a head of red cabbage & carrots in the frig. I opened a can of Rotel instead of tomatoes, and boy, did this turn out well! Not too much kick, but some heat.
It was quite easy, very tasty, and required only a little energy which is great after camping, or on a week night. 😉 I’ll fix this meal again!
EverydayMaven says
January 31, 2015 at 10:53 amSounds great Catina! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know 🙂
Kelly McDermott DDS says
January 4, 2015 at 4:47 amSo Easy AND Delicious! I used a pressure cooker and cooked the whole meal in it. From browning the sausage and onions to cutting up the veggies, the soup was ready to eat in 45 minutes. My picky daughter even loved it! Thanks so much. I’m on to trying the Cheesy Stuffed Delicata Squash!
EverydayMaven says
January 5, 2015 at 4:19 pmThat is great Kelly – thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment and let me know! Hope your family also loved the Delicata Squash 🙂
Lindsay says
December 28, 2014 at 3:36 pmLoved this recipie super easy first time making dinner and it was a HUGE hit!
EverydayMaven says
December 28, 2014 at 8:13 pmThanks for taking the time to comment and let me know Lindsay!
Rachel says
December 10, 2014 at 5:33 pmSooo delicious!! I did not even think I like cabbage till after making this soup for a friend. I make it all the time now! My 2 year old loves it!!
EverydayMaven says
December 11, 2014 at 11:24 amThanks so much Rachel – I love hearing that! 🙂
GabrielleP. says
October 27, 2014 at 3:48 pmMy family LOVES this recipe! We use purple cabbage in place of green because my mother gave me a 4 heads of it.
EverydayMaven says
October 28, 2014 at 11:21 amThanks for taking the time to let me know Gabrielle! Love the idea of purple cabbage 🙂
MJ says
October 22, 2014 at 3:29 pmGreat recipe. Thank you. I took the liberty of adding a small glug of red wine to the sausage after it was browned and let it cook down for a few minutes and I also used some fire roasted dice tomatoes. Would make again for sure.
EverydayMaven says
October 23, 2014 at 9:02 amI bet that red wine added a lot of flavor MJ!
cutismama says
October 1, 2014 at 6:10 amI finally made this last night. The texture created by shredding in the food processor was perfect. The soup was nice and thick. I halved the recipe because we have too many leftovers (i need to get that extra freezer!). Wonderful flavor. My sausage had a nice taste of fennel it it too. Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
October 1, 2014 at 2:39 pmI wish we had too many leftovers – they just seem to go so fast in our house. Glad you liked the soup! 🙂
Gloria says
March 3, 2014 at 2:43 pmAnother snowy day, another wonderful Everyday Maven soup recipe made! I used turkey and chicken sausage, turkey stock, and didn’t shred the cabbage, but it tastes most delicious. Thanks for posting.
EverydayMaven says
March 4, 2014 at 3:45 pmThat sounds wonderful Gloria. Turkey stock is my favorite – it’s so rich and flavorful!
Matilda says
February 18, 2014 at 6:37 pmOh I wish it was winter right now, this looks like a real comfort heart warming soup.
EverydayMaven says
February 18, 2014 at 8:51 pmI’ll trade you! I’ll give you soup if you give me summer lol 😉
Hannah says
February 18, 2014 at 12:48 pmGround meat is indeed a timesaver and delicious! I love that you shredded the cabbage here. I usually just slice it, but shredding it must infuse it into the soup so you get some in every bite. This is such a delicious, satisfying soup and even better since it uses pantry and fridge staples.
EverydayMaven says
February 18, 2014 at 8:50 pmIt is and you could make this soup with chicken sausage or turkey sausage – I think any of them will give it a great flavor!
Norma Chang says
February 17, 2014 at 3:19 pmI did not know there is MSG in Italian sausage. Thanks for the alert. Really need to read all food labels.
With grounds completely snow covered, not to mention the cold temp, a big bowl of your yummy soup would be very comforting.
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:10 pmYou really do Norma. It’s a sad reality but our food supply is pretty contaminated.
Cutismama says
February 17, 2014 at 1:48 pmAlyssa, do you take photos of every meal you make in the hopes of sharing it with us? You are a good woman. Thanks again for an accessible meal.
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:08 pmNot even close! If there is still good light and I know the recipe is ready to share, I’ll take photos otherwise if it’s something I know I want to share, I’ll make a point to remake it when I think there will be some light. It is a challenge though because I don’t cook “for the blog”, I cook for my family and then share what I am cooking, which doesn’t always coincide with good light (especially in this season!).
Kirsten says
February 17, 2014 at 9:29 amAlyssa,
Your soup looks delicious. I’m a fan of ‘born of desperation’ soups, as those are frequently memorable. I nearly always have onions on hand, and though I’m emptying quart jars of crushed tomatoes weekly there’s still plenty in the pantry. Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:05 pmSo true Kirsten, those are often the best soups!
Jordan says
February 17, 2014 at 8:33 amThis looks delicious! I’ve been making a lot of soup lately, too. We’re just having the kind of weather than calls for tucking into a big bowl of something warm and homey.
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:04 pmSeriously! It hasn’t been as cold here as most of the US but I like to have soup almost everyday in winter no matter what!
Mary says
February 17, 2014 at 7:47 amThis soup looks delicious! I am going to make it this week for sure as I have all the ingredients. The only thing I would change is I would not shred my cabbage but cut it into 1/2″-1″ cubes for a more rustic feel. One less item to clean in the kitchen 🙂 I do believe they sell pre-shredded cabbage in bags at the grocery store for those who do not want to chop or do not have a food processor.
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:03 pmThey do Mary! In fact, Trader Joe’s has a nice size bag of already shredded cabbage for $1.19 (at least here). Enjoy!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
February 17, 2014 at 5:24 amWe use ground meat all the time too. Last night it was bison!
EverydayMaven says
February 17, 2014 at 9:02 pmI love Bison – especially for Chili. It is just so convenient and such a time saver to use something crumbled 🙂