Cabbage Soup with Sausage Recipe

Cabbage soup with sausage made with kielbasa, green cabbage, red potatoes and carrots in a savory broth.

5 from 3 votes

Cabbage Soup with Sausage Recipe

This hearty Cabbage Soup with Sausage is made with smoky kielbasa, tender green cabbage, red potatoes, carrots and a savory broth made with both beef and chicken stock. Tomato paste, smoked paprika and caraway add depth, while red wine vinegar brightens everything up at the end.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage, caraway seeds, carrots, kielbasa, onion, potatoes, soup

Servings:

Calories: 364kcal

Author: Sharon Farnell

Equipment

stock pot or large dutch oven

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
14 oz kielbasa, cut into ¼” half moons
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste
6 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon tomato paste
3 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
3 cups diced red potatoes (about ¼”)
6 cups green cabbage, cut into bite sizes pieces (washed, outer leaves removed)
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart beef broth
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar preferably organic)

Instructions

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until shimmering.
Add kielbasa, and brown, 2-3 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate and set aside once browned.
Add celery, onion and carrot to the pan, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes, until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, caraway seeds and smoked paprika, stir well and cook 2-3 minutes, until deepened in color.
Add kielbasa back to pot, along with bay leaves, potatoes, cabbage, beef stock and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cabbage is cooked through and potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Stir in red wine vinegar, and taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Brown the kielbasa well before adding the vegetables. Those browned bits in the pot add a lot of flavor to the broth.
Cook the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it deepens in color before adding the stock.
Using a combination of beef and chicken stock gives the soup a richer broth without making it overly heavy.
Pork, beef or turkey kielbasa all work. Turkey kielbasa will be leaner and a little less rich.
Red potatoes don’t need to be peeled. If you use russets, peel them first.
The cabbage will look like a lot at first, but it cooks down quite a bit.
Taste before adding extra salt at the end since the kielbasa and stocks can already bring plenty of sodium.
Stir in the red wine vinegar at the end to balance the smoky sausage, tomato paste and rich broth.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the slow cooker, brown the kielbasa, sauté the vegetables, and cook the tomato paste until darkened before transferring everything to the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for about 4 hours or LOW for about 8 hours.

Recipe Update: This recipe was refreshed with new photos and a few flavor upgrades, including tomato paste, a combination of beef and chicken stock, and red wine vinegar.

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