Home » Recipes » Soups + Stews » Simple Cabbage Potato Soup

Simple Cabbage Potato Soup

Here’s A Simple Cabbage Potato Soup That Fills You Up!

Searching for a really easy cabbage potato soup recipe? You’re in the right place!

This simple cabbage potato soup is made from only a handful of ingredients. It’s amazing what you can do with cabbage, potato, onion, and tomato!

The thin broth is perfect for enjoying on a cold day or if you’re looking for a filling soup without the heaviness in your stomach.

Since it’s a family recipe, this is something Eric knows about firsthand!

bowl of cabbage potato soup on wooden cutting board with cloth behind
A perfect bowl of cabbage potato soup!

Eric’s Hungarian grandma used to make cabbage soup all the time. The recipe has been passed down so that other family members could make it.

To be fair, it’s a common recipe for not just Hungary but for Eastern Europe, in general.

Cabbage and potatoes are classic ingredients from this area since they were/are easy to grow and can last a long time if needed.

Of course, with people in various different countries enjoying this soup, it’s no surprise that there are a number of cabbage potato soup variations. Many of them include meat.

cabbage potato soup in bowl on wood with silver spoon sticking out
Just grab a spoon and you’re all set to eat cabbage potato soup!

Our soup recipe is made without meat but you can definitely add chunks of cooked ham, bacon, or even some smoked sausage (like a nice kielbasa) cut up into smaller pieces.

Eric also likes to add some Tabasco to his soup for a little more spice. Speaking of spice, you can make it “more Hungarian” by adding paprika, if you like.

This cabbage potato soup can also be made vegetarian easily. All you would have to do is omit the meat (like our recipe already does) and substitute the beef broth for vegetable broth.

The broth can even be made a little thicker with some roux but we enjoy the thinner broth on cold days.

As for things to serve cabbage potato soup with, you can always grab a nice fresh slice of bread with butter. The thin broth is perfect for dipping bread in!

How to Make Cabbage Potato Soup – Step by Step

If you are looking to whip up a pot of cabbage potato soup, you can check out the recipe card below.

In case you’d like to see what the various steps look like when you’re cooking, check out the following recipe process photos!

green cabbage with core removed on cutting board
Start by cutting the cabbage.

Remove the outside leaves of the cabbage if they are wilted or discolored. Wash the rest of the cabbage, then cut it in half.

Remove the hard stem on both halfs of the cabbage.

green cabbage being diced on wooden cutting board
Cut the cabbage into small pieces.

Then cut the cabbage into strips and the strips into small pieces. This will make cooking the cabbage easier.

You can remove any overly hard pieces if you don’t like slightly more crunchy parts in your soup. Also wash and cut your tomatoes into small cubes.

chopped onions in metallic pot on stove top
Sauté the onion until it is translucent.

Peel the onion and chop it into small pieces. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a very large pot and sauté the onion until it is translucent and starts to brown slightly. Stir regularly.

chopped tomatoes and cabbage in silver pot on stovetop
Add the cabbage and tomato…

Add the cabbage and tomato pieces into the pot.

cabbage potato soup simmering in pot on stove
…then fill it up with broth.

Then add enough beef or vegetable broth so that it just covers the vegetables in the pot.

In our case, it was 7 cups of broth. It might be slightly more or less in your case depending on the exact size of your cabbage.

Bring the broth to a simmer and let it simmer on low heat for about 50 minutes. Stir occassionally.

cubed pieces of potatoes in bowl on counter
In the meantime, wash and cut the potatoes.

While the soup is simmering, wash the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.

pot of cabbage soup with cut potatoes on top
Add the potatoes…

After 50 minutes – when the cabbage is almost soft – add the potatoes and stir them into the soup so they are covered by the broth.

Let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes until the potatoes and the cabbage are fully cooked.

Add salt and pepper – as well as other spices such as paprika or tabasco – to taste. Serve and enjoy!

bowl of cabbage potato soup on wooden board with silver spoon beside
Delicious cabbage potato soup – ready to eat!

You can eat this soup over a period of around 3 days by storing the leftovers in the fridge and only reheating the amount that you’ll eat. You can either reheat it in a small pot on the stove or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave.

Since this recipe makes quite a large pot of cabbage potato soup, you might be happy to hear that you can freeze this soup in a freezer container. Cabbage actually gets softer if frozen and reheated (which some people like).

Enjoy our cabbage potato soup – a recipe from Eric’s Hungarian grandma!

Related Recipes

Here are some more easy soup and stew recipes if you enjoyed this classic soup:

cabbage potato soup in bowl with spoon sticking out

Cabbage Potato Soup

This simple cabbage potato soup is easy to make and deceivingly filling. Made with green cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and a few spices, this is a thin broth soup that is great eaten fresh or reheated day after day.
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized green cabbage
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 4-5 medium-sized potatoes
  • 3 fresh tomatoes
  • 7 cups broth, vegetable or beef; approximately
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Remove the outside leaves of the cabbage and wash the cabbage. Cut it in half and remove the hard stem. Now cut the cabbage into small pieces. You can remove very hard pieces if you come across any.
  • Wash the tomatoes and chop them into cubes. Peel the onions and also chop it up.
  • In a large pot, heat oil and sauté the onion until it is translucent and slightly brown.
  • Now add the cabbage and tomatoes as well as enough broth so that the mixture is just covered. In our case, it was 7 cups of broth – in your case it might be slightly less or more.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it on low heat for approximately 50 minutes until the cabbage is almost cooked. Stir occasionally.
  • In the meantime, wash and chop the potatoes into cubes. You can also peel your potatoes if desired.
  • After the 50 minutes are up, add the potatoes to the pot and simmer again for approximately 20 minutes until they and the cabbage are fully cooked.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy!

Notes

There are many different additions and variations to this simple cabbage potato soup. The addition of meat is a popular one. Consider adding ham, bacon, or a smoked sausage (like kielbasa) in small pieces for flavor and heartiness.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 470mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.

Course Soups + Stews
Cuisine Hungarian
Author Recipes From Europe
Don’t miss out!
Subscribe to Recipes from Europe!

Get updates on the latest posts and more from Recipes from Europe straight to your inbox. 

Invalid email address

8 thoughts on “Simple Cabbage Potato Soup”

  1. 5 stars
    I’m make this recipe a lot and love it!
    Today I’m adding a bit of thick baccon, smoked Hungarian sausages and smoked pork chops all cut into bite sized pieces along with paprika and red chili pepper flakes!

    Reply
  2. Hi, made this recipe. Seems like a nice soup but kind of bland since I can’t use much salt. Any seasoning other than salt & pepper?

    Reply
    • Hi Toni, this is a very simple soup so I understand that it can be a bit bland when you have to watch the salt. Not knowing your personal preferences, there are a few things you could experiment with. For example, you could add a tablespoon of tomato paste when adding the fresh tomatoes to the pot to give it more flavor. You could also add some chopped up garlic once the onions are sautéd. Or you could add some dried herbs to the soup (for example thyme). If you like spice, you could also add some chili flakes (I’d add them once the onion are sautéd and let them sit in the oil for a minute or so before adding the cabbage and other ingredients). I hope that gives you some ideas! /Lisa

      Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! I did some tweaking and added smoked Hungarian or Portuguese sausage and some paprika and red chili pepper flakes! Delicious! Thanks so much!

    Reply
      • 5 stars
        I’ve made this soup before and love it and I usually use vegetable stock however today I forgot and used chicken stock will this be OK do you think?

      • It will also be fine with chicken stock, just change the flavor slightly. Unless you prepare this soup for someone who is plant-based, I wouldn’t worry too much about whether you use vegetable or chicken stock.

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating