Ground Beef
$1.58per plate
Prep
15 min
Soup · Cabbage Soup
Cabbage Soup
Cabbage Soup is a big, brothy pot of green cabbage, carrots, celery, and onion simmered in a light tomato broth, with a can of white beans stirred in to make it filling enough for dinner. It is vegetable-forward and mild - a genuinely satisfying bowl, not just cabbage boiled in water - and because a head of cabbage costs about a dollar and a half, the whole pot lands under a dollar a serving. This is the light, meatless version, not the beefy, rice-filled cabbage roll soup; here the cabbage itself is the star. It comes together in about 45 minutes on the stovetop and only gets better the next day. Find it with the rest of our soup recipes, and if you cook from the crisper drawer, our lentil soup is another cheap, vegetable-packed pot.
$0.85per plate
Estimated recipe total
$5.08 · serves 6
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/cabbage-soup
Equipment
- Large pot
Variations
- Use chicken or beef broth instead of vegetable broth for a richer, non-vegetarian pot.
- Use kidney or navy beans instead of white beans; use whatever is cheapest.
- Drop in a parmesan rind while it simmers, or stir in a teaspoon of soy sauce, for more savory depth.
- Use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for a subtle smokiness, or crushed tomatoes for a thicker broth.
1 How to make it
1
Soften the aromatics
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften, then stir in the garlic for another minute until fragrant. Building this base first is what keeps the soup from tasting flat.
2
Add the tomatoes, broth, and seasoning
Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Bring it up to a simmer so the flavors have a base to bloom into before the cabbage goes in.
3
Simmer the cabbage until just tender
Add the chopped cabbage - it will look like a lot, but it cooks down by half. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender but still has a little bite. Stop here rather than boiling it hard, which is what turns cabbage soft and gray.
4
Add the beans, brighten, and serve
Stir in the drained white beans and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, then stir in the apple cider vinegar and taste for salt and pepper - the splash of vinegar is what lifts the whole pot and keeps it from tasting one-note. Serve hot with crusty bread.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Chicken or beef broth. Vegetable broth keeps this meatless, but chicken or beef broth makes it a little richer and more savory. Use whatever you have; all three work.
- Kidney or navy beans. Any canned bean works in place of the white beans. Kidney beans hold their shape and add color; navy beans are smaller and softer. Use the cheapest can at your store.
- A parmesan rind or splash of soy sauce. For more savory depth without meat, drop in a parmesan rind while it simmers, or stir in a teaspoon of soy sauce at the end.
- Fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a subtle smokiness. Crushed tomatoes make the broth a little thicker and more tomatoey if you like a heartier bowl.
3 Budget tips
- A single head of cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables at the store and does most of the work here, which is why a filling bowl lands under a dollar.
- One can of white beans adds protein and body for less than a dollar, so the soup eats like a meal without any meat.
- Cabbage keeps for weeks in the fridge, so it is a great vegetable to buy ahead and cook when you need a cheap dinner.
- This makes a big pot that freezes and reheats well, so a batch is two easy dinners with almost no extra work.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor deepens overnight, so day-two bowls are even better.
Freezer
This brothy, dairy-free soup freezes very well. Cool completely, then freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot. Add a splash of broth or water if it has thickened, and a tiny splash of vinegar can wake it back up.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
170
Protein
7g
Fat
3g
Carbs
30g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is cabbage soup made of?
This cabbage soup is made of green cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic simmered in a light tomato and vegetable broth, with a can of white beans stirred in for heartiness and a splash of vinegar to brighten it. It is a mild, vegetable-forward soup with no meat, rice, or cream.
How do I keep the cabbage from getting mushy?
Simmer gently rather than boiling hard, and pull the pot off the heat once the cabbage is tender with a little bite, usually 15 to 20 minutes. Cabbage keeps softening in the hot broth, so slightly undercooking it keeps the texture in leftovers.
How is this different from cabbage roll soup?
Cabbage roll soup is built on ground beef, rice, and a rich tomato sauce to taste like a deconstructed stuffed cabbage roll. This cabbage soup is the light, meatless version - vegetable-forward, brothy, and thickened only by a can of beans, with no beef and no rice.
Can I make cabbage soup in a slow cooker?
Yes. Add everything except the beans and vinegar to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4, then stir in the drained beans and vinegar in the last 15 minutes. Add the cabbage in the second half of cooking if you want it firmer.
How is $0.85 a plate figured?
The whole pot is about $5.08 for six servings, so roughly $0.85 each. A cheap head of cabbage and one can of beans do most of the work, which keeps it one of the least expensive dinners we make.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
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