Simple ingredients create a hearty and nourishing Cabbage Bean Soup. Cooked on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or soup pot, this White Bean Cabbage Soup with Potatoes is a steamy one-pot recipe that will serve up cozy during the coldest months of the year. Get dinner on the table quickly with a simmer time of just 20 minutes, or cook up to 40 minutes for a softer, creamier texture. This recipe is vegetarian or vegan and easily gluten free.
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White Bean and Cabbage Soup Comfort Food
It’s chilly outside, and the rain and wind has returned to the Pacific Northwest. Comfort food like this Cabbage Bean Soup has entered our weekly rotation again.
I find soups and stews one of the simplest ways to deliver comfort during the chilliest seasons. Easy, too in that this cabbage bean soup comes together in one pot. With some cooking time flexibility, you can get dinner on the table quickly, or linger in the kitchen a little longer.
This Soup Is:
- nourishing, filling, super hearty
- vegetarian or vegan
- easy to make in one pot
- sooooo comforting
You’ll enjoy this nourishing soup if you love cozy vegetable soup recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple ingredients combine to make a hearty and nourishing vegetarian cabbage and bean soup. Here’s what you’ll need to make it (see recipe card for details):
- Butter and/or Olive Oil – you can use dairy butter, plant butter, olive oil or a combination. I find all butter or a combination of butter and olive oil produces an extra-rich soup. But, if you prefer all olive oil, you can use it with delicious results.
- Leeks – with a similar but less bold flavor of onion, they provide texture and a bit of a sweet flavor in this soup. Slice lengthwise, then fan out under running water to rid any dirt. Cut off and discard the tough green top.
- Cabbage – use savoy or green cabbage. While I prefer green, either will work. Green tends to stand up more to longer cooking time, producing a more texture-rich soup, while tender savoy tends to cook down more. Pictured is green cabbage. See the recipe video for this soup made with savoy cabbage on the recipe card.
- Garlic – use fresh minced for best flavor. I like to add an extra clove for a bolder garlicky flavor.
- Vegetable Broth – this soup relies on a high-quality broth to deliver the best flavor. If using prepared broth, I like Better Than Bouillon (I use low sodium). Homemade vegetable stock is delicious as well. For a chunkier soup, hold out at least 2 cups broth. If you like a looser soup, add all the broth.
- Potatoes – use russet or yellow finn potatoes, leaving the skin on for nutrition and texture. The longer the soup cooks, the more the potatoes will cook down into the soup. If you prefer fork-tender potatoes, cook them for a shorter amount of time. Longer for a more creamy texture.
- Thyme – use fresh for best flavor.
- Cooked White Beans – cannellini beans are also called white kidney beans. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and creamy texture. You can use canned or home cooked.
At a Glance: How to Make Cabbage Bean Soup with Potatoes
- First, add the butter and/or olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot and heat until melted or shimmering. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently. Add the cabbage and stir, cooking it down just a bit.
- Next, add the garlic, salt, veggie broth, potatoes and thyme bundle. Bring to a simmer, then cook on low for about 20 minutes for a fork-tender potato or 40 minutes to let the potatoes soften further and melt down into the soup (this time is flexible).
- Last, remove the thyme bundle and stir in the beans. Warm through, about five minutes and add a good squeeze of lemon.
The longer the soup cooks, the softer the potatoes get, creating an even creamier white bean cabbage soup.
What to Serve with Soup
White bean and cabbage soup is hearty enough on its own, but to round out the meal, share it with a big seasonal salad and crusty bread for dunking. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Soup Pot: beautiful, functional, and durable my favorite Dutch oven cooks soup recipes and so much more. I love the 4-quart size, perfect for beans, stews, soups, and fried rice. It lives on my stovetop.
- Vegetarian or Vegan Cabbage Soup: this recipe is completely flexible. Use dairy butter, plant butter, olive oil, or a combination. I prefer the richness that unsalted dairy butter adds to this soup. For a dairy free or vegan soup, use olive oil or plant butter for dairy-free. If using salted plant butter, omit the salt in the recipe due to the salt content already in the butter and adjust the salt to taste near the end of cooking.
- How to Store: refrigerate in a lidded container for up to three days. Gently reheat on the stovetop for about 10 minutes.
- How to Freeze: this soup is a perfect freezer meal! Allow the soup to cool completely, then store it in a lidded freezer container for up to two weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then gently reheat on the stovetop for about 10 minutes.
More Cabbage Recipes to Try
Hearty White Bean and Cabbage Soup with Potatoes
Servings:7 Servings
Calories:222kcal
Simple ingredients create a hearty and nourishing Cabbage Bean Soup. Cooked on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or soup pot, this White Bean Cabbage Soup with Potatoes is a steamy one-pot recipe that will serve up cozy during the coldest months of the year. Get dinner on the table quickly with a simmer time of just 20 minutes, or cook up to 40 minutes for a softer, creamier texture. This recipe is vegetarian or vegan and easily gluten free.*This soup relies on a high-quality broth to deliver the best flavor. If using prepared broth, I like and use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter olive oil or plant butter* (see note)
- 5 cups (345 grams) Leeks sliced thin, about two large leeks
- 8 cups (440 grams) Green or Savoy Cabbage cut into bite size pieces or thinly sliced** (see note)
- 2 cups (285 grams) Russet or Yellow Finn Potatoes skins on, cut into small cubes, about two small potatoes
- 8 cups (1.7 kilograms) Vegetable Broth I use low sodium, ***see note
- 4 Fat Cloves of Garlic minced, add up to 6 cloves for more garlicy flavor.
- 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt + more to taste, reduce to 1/4 tsp if using plant butter and adjust to taste
- 1 3/4 cups (425 grams) Cooked Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
- 4-5 Thyme Springs tied
- Squeeze of Lemon to taste
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese for garnish (optional)
- Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- In a large 4-quart (3.8 liters) Dutch Oven or stock-pot, add the olive oil (or butter and melt) and heat until shimmering. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently on medium-low until they're soft with a bit of golden color, about 10 minutes. Watch them close, as they can burn easily.
- Add the cabbage to the leeks. Cook on medium low stirring occassionally to cook down, about 9-10 minutes (the pot will be very full!).
- Add garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, broth, potatoes and thyme bundle. Bring to a simmer, then cook on a low simmer for about 20 minutes for a fork tender potato (this will vary depending on type of potato and size of cut, so test to taste), or 40 minutes to let the potatoes soften further (this time is flexible – cooking the potatoes longer will allow them to be more creamy and melt into the soup – yum!)
- Remove the thyme bundle, stir in the beans and a good squeeze of lemon (it brightens the soup). Warm through, about five minutes. Taste to adjust salt and pepper seasoning as needed. Due to variations in salt content in vegetable broth, add salt to taste. I'm pretty generous with it in this recipe. Garnish with shaved parmesan and fresh thyme leaves if desired.
- Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. This soup is freezer friendly. Freeze in individual containers for lunch portion servings or a larger family size container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and gently rewarm on the stovetop.
Video
Notes
*Olive Oil and/or Butter: I like butter because it adds richness to this soup, but if dairy free, olive oil or plant butter is fabulous as well. If opting for plant butter, and it’s salted, leave out the addition of salt and adjust to taste towards the end of cooking.
**Green or Savoy Cabbage (green pictured/savoy in video): I like both equally, but the green cabbage is not quite as soft as the savoy and adds a bit more texture with the given cook times.
***For a chunkier soup, reduce the broth by 2 C and add more to taste.
Recipe adapted from New York Times.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3017IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
Delicious! I made as written except I used dried thyme instead of fresh thyme. Easy and quick. Will be part of the soups I make throughout fall and winter.
I love making soup! Our church has Friday night soup suppers during Lent. At least over 120 people, from elders to toddlers.So each week we need three “soupers” After building up a colllection of meat-free soups this is going on my list. Oh! And I’ll be saving this for the week of St. Patrick’s Day.
Thank you for all the recipes you create and that I’ve saved through the years. You are my go-to when entertaining vegetarian friends….or when I really, really want to have a smashed chickpea sandwich.
With smile on my face writing this,Loretta
Hii Hi Lucida! Hooray! What a delicious way to gather. Thank you for allowing V&B to be a part of it and sending a smile!
Will you share your other favorite meat-free soups with me?
Sadly this was not one of my favorite recipes on this site although many have been such as the smashed chickpea salad sandwiches and some others. I love every ingredient used but they did not work well together. Perhaps if it had called for onion instead of garlic. I don’t know. Followed the recipe exactly and I have a vat of soup that I will eat because I don’t like to waste food but will not enjoy.
Hi Denise! I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. Thank you for giving it a try and letting me know.
Loved it! I added some carrot and parsnip just because I really wanted to lean into the fall hearty soup feel! Probably used 6 cloves of garlic and added a healthy amount of lemon juice to my bowl. Ate it with half of a toasted everything bagel—the caraway and other seasonings were a perfect pairing with the cabbage, leeks and potatoes!! Your recipes never disappoint, Traci!
Hi Maureen! Hooray for a tasty soup… I’m all in on the 6 cloves of garlic. I often add more too! The everything bagel is a perfect pairing. Thank you for your note and star rating!
This soup was very good. It was very easy to make and my friends loved it. We had this while we waited out Hurricaine Hilary. Perfect for a cold rainy day.
Hi Linda… I was with SOCAL in heart… I hope y’all are safe. Thank you for your note, five star review and giving the soup a go! A perfect soup to bring comfort.
For both salad and soup! So good as is. So easy to tweek. I like to keep baggies of chopped salad goodies in fridge to top, the best looking greens at the ‘farmers market’.I have given up on grocery store produce! Always have nuts and dried fruits, too. I make vegan salad dressings or, just lemon juice&evoo. I do freeze leftover soup. When cooking a steak , chop
ham steak with a bone, I save the bone and some of the au jus for soup starters. The ham steak bones are great for a pot of beans. If I have a little leftover cooked meat or veggies I just add to the warming leftover soup. The posibilites are endless!! Thanx Traci! Happy Healthy Holidaze!raf
Traci, this is fabulous !! I enjoyed this several days. Until it was all gone! Love the flexibility of your recipes! I used butter, green cabbage and the yellow potatoes. Still loving the “better than boulion” vegetable broth that you taught me about. The thyme really sets this off as well! Another “keeper” recipe from you! Everything you make looks (and is) sooooo good!! Thank you again for sharing!!
Hiii Laura! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the blog and this soup (a personal favorite). That BTB really helps make it super tasty… ah, and the thyme is so lovely. I truly appreciate your feedback and giving so many V&B recipes a go!
Always love a cabbage recipe and this one turned out very good. I used partially cooked dried beans and added them early with an extra cup because they were there HAA. Served with sourdough bread. I will freeze individual servings which will be perfect after a morning of birding in the snow.
Hiii Carolyn! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. Birding in the snow, then coming home to hot cabbage soup sounds like a day well spent!
Thank you so much for the soup recipe! I have lots of Swanson low sodium chicken broth, so I used that instead although your Better Than Bouillon looks so much better. I halved the recipe. I added Litehouse freeze-dried thyme instead of a thyme bundle. It turned out nice & tasty still, even though it looks nothing like your photo! My picky mom even liked it! I’ll definitely be making this soup again. It was my first time cooking leeks and possibly eating leeks.
Hooray for leeks, Angel Lisa! Thank you for your note and giving the soup a go (it’s a favorite around here!). And that your mom enjoyed it too, it’s a win-win!
I made this last night and was shocked at how flavourful and delicious it was. I used a can of mixed beans, Better Than Bouillion, and a tsp of thyme because that was what I had on hand. The simple, inexpensive ingredients and heartiness ticked all the boxes for me, so this will now become my go to comfort soup. Thank you!
Hi Suzanne! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. This is one of my favorites too because of all the things you mentioned! Isn’t BTB the best?! SO flavorful!
Great winter soup recipe! I substituted with navy beans – running to the store for one item is a trip I avoid right now! I also opted for the thicker version – 6 cups of veggie broth. The pictures helped because I was not sure what a “sprig” actually meant HA! Anything with cabbage makes my list.
Oh my Carolyn! YES to anything with cabbage… I’m SO with you. I lol on sprig… I didn’t know what else to call it! Navy beans sound lovely. Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
Hello again, yes – sprig is the right word for sure, the rabbit hole was the sprig within a sprig conversation in my head – still grinning….
LOL!! Same – thanks for the smile, Carolyn!
I followed it to a tee…..just wasn’t very flavorful. Kind of sad.
I’m sorry to hear the soup didn’t work for you, Christine.
I made this per your recipe and was totally delighted, the taste, texture and goodness were excellent..I am considering adding Farro or Bulgur to it. i’m vegetarian and love the flavor added by either.
Thank you
So happy to hear, Jack! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Farro or bulger would be a lovely addition!
Not sure why it took me so long, but I finally made this recipe today. I had received cabbage, potatoes, and leeks in a Misfits Market box this week, and although I did not have cannelloni beans, I did have some White Navy Beans that I had cooked up a few weeks ago in put the freezer; so it seemed like the right time to make this. Wow! So, so good! Since I live alone, I am going to have plenty to freeze, but I am looking forward to having this for lunch for the next few days! Thanks for another “keeper,” Traci!
Hii Jonel! SO nice to see your note and that you enjoyed the soup! Navy beans are perfect for it. Isn’t it so hearty and flavorful? This is one I make again and again. So happy to hear there’s more in the freezer…!
Delicious! Definitely a keeper! I used navy beans but followed the recipe as written with great results.
So happy to hear Amanda! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! The navy beans are perfect.
Made it exactly as written and gobbled it all up!
I love your enthusiasm! :D So happy to hear you enjoyed it Margaret. I hope there’s some in the freezer? Thank you for your rating and sharing with me!
Traci, I made this last week to take for lunch and ended up sharing with a bunch of my work colleagues! I added some rotisserie chicken (obviously, I’m not vegan or vegetarian!) and it was wonderful! The butter adds a richness to the broth that really makes this a hearty soup.
Making this again today – thanks for this!
Hi Shannon! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe! Indeed (!!) the butter!! Thank you for your note and rating Shannon! Day made!
Made tonight with Savoy cabbage and a few red potatoes and a can of great northern beans. So simple and delicious. Oh! I had a Parmesan rind I popped in the soup while it cooked. Great for a fall night!
Hi RL! Ooooh that parm rind – thank you for that and your note! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the soup. It’s one of my favorite go-to recipes!
I made this recipe and it tasted delicious!
Regards Marijke.
My husband and I adore this nutritious meal. It’s perfect for dinner anytime of year. All the ingredients go so good together, and the beans add a great amount of protein. Sometimes I add celery to the dish, and it turns out great. In short, this warm, comforting soup rocks! Thank you for sharing it with us Traci. I love your blog!
So happy to hear, Ann! Thank you for giving it a go, leaving a note, rating and such kind words :D ! This is one of those soups I make again and again… it IS so comforting. Celery sounds like a delicious addition!
Just what I needed,yum! Thanks for posting!
You got it Doreen! Thank you for your note!
This was a crowd pleaser for my children and grandchildren. I usually like trying recipes out before serving company, but you have never let me down ;)
SO happy to hear Delin! Hooray! Thank you for your note, kind words and rating! All the yesses for a crowd pleasing soup!
Can’t wait to make! I just fall more in love with your recipes each week.. thanks so much for sharing them! Hope you’re feeling better soonest and a big YES PLEASE on the sourdough biscuits.. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy both those wonderful flavors this fall.
Hii Daisy! Thank you so much for your kind words, sending a smile and vote for those biscuits! They’ll be on the blog as soon as I get the details of the recipe tweaked! :D LMK if you give this soup a go!
Such a heartwarming soup for the cold months. I can eat this every day.
So well done my friend.
Hii Ayse… thank you! I’m so with you! It’s one I make over and over again.
Can this be put in slow cooker?
Hi Dawn! I wouldn’t hesitate putting it in the slow cooker. If I were to do it, I’d give it about 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low to start. The veggies should be cooked down and tender when done. Watch the broth level though. If the slow cooker lid is loose fitting, more steam will escape. Add more veggie broth if needed. Stir in the beans 30 minutes before service to warm through. If you give it a go, please let us know how it turns out!
Hi!
Just made this today and it was delicious! My family loved it. What I liked was the simple ingredients and that by making more and more soups it doesn’t feel complicated anymore. I was always intimidated by making broth.
Sending love from Latvia! :)
Love, Love your Recipes! Made many of your tasty recipes and everyone loves them..
Thank you so much Gitta!! :D
A friend of mine made this soup and I loved it! I’m trying to lose some weight and was wondering if you had the nutritional facts for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Angie! Thank you for your note. I do not have the USDA nutritional facts for this recipe.
Thank you for your response!
I saw this recipe and knew I had to make it. So many of my favorite things! It tastes great, is easy to make, and all were pleased with this and a baguette. Thank you, and Bravo.
Hey Greg! So happy you enjoyed the recipe with said baguette – a perfect dipping vessel ;) (!!) Thank you for your note!
Just discovered your blog, so beautiful!! I’ve actually just recently started using Headspace and have been loving it!! I’m so excited to try some of your gorgeous recipes :)
What is an alternative for the potatoes?
Hi Hannah. I’m sorry I don’t have a suggestion for an alternative for the potatoes. You can leave them out if you wish. Just reduce the cooking time. Your soup will be ready in no time!