Hearty, easy, nourishing and so mouth-watering; White Bean Cabbage Soup is a steamy one-pot recipe that will serve up cozy during the coldest months of the year. This vegetarian or vegan cabbage soup recipe is freezer friendly and gluten free.
White Bean and Cabbage Soup Comfort Food
It’s so chilly outside, and the rain and wind has returned to the Pacific Northwest. Comfort food like this Cabbage Bean Soup has made its way into our weekly rotation.
I find soups and stews to be one of the simplest ways to deliver comfort during the chilliest of seasons. Easy too in that this cabbage soup comes together in one pot, and with some cook time flexibility.
This vegetarian or vegan cabbage soup helps me maintain healthy eating goals. Not that I eat it to lose weight, rather, I eat it because it’s nourishing, filling, super hearty and it just tastes delicious! The addition of potatoes in this cabbage potato soup gives it that comfort factor I’m after anyway this time of year.
Cabbage potato soup is super easy to pull together too!
Cabbage White Bean Soup Ingredients
The simplest ingredients come together to make a most hearty and nourishing soup! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Butter, Plant or Dairy or Olive Oil
- Leeks
- Cabbage
- Garlic
- Veggie Broth
- Potatoes
- Thyme
- Cooked White Beans
How to Make this Easy Cabbage Bean Soup
- First, in a large Dutch Oven or stock-pot, add the olive oil (or butter) and heat until shimmering. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently. Add the cabbage and stir, cooking down just a bit.
- Next, add the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 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.
Share vegetarian or vegan cabbage soup with crusty bread and a big salad to complete the meal.
A Few Notes About Cabbage White Bean Soup
- Vegetarian or Vegan Cabbage Soup: Butter (plant or dairy) or Olive Oil? I prefer the richness unsalted dairy butter adds to this soup. Use olive oil or plant butter for dairy-free. If using plant butter omit the salt due to the salt content already in most plant butters and adjust the salt to taste near the end of cooking.
- The Cabbage: I’ve used savoy (pictured) and green. While I prefer green, either will work. Green tends to stand up more to the cooking time, producing a more texture-rich soup while the more tender savoy tends to cook down a bit more.
- The Broth: For a chunkier soup, hold out at least 2 C broth. This soup relies on a high quality broth to deliver best flavor. If using prepared broth, I like Better Than Bouillon.
- The Potatoes: The longer the soup cooks, the more the potatoes will cook down into the soup. If you prefer fork-tender potatoes, cook them for the shorter amount of time (as seen here.. I was impatient). Longer for a more creamy texture.
- How to Store Cabbage Soup: Refrigerate in a lidded container for up to three days. Or, if you love freezer meals like me, freeze in individual serving jars, or containers for lunch portions, or in a larger container for family meals.
- How long can Cabbage and Bean Soup be frozen? Freeze for up to two weeks. I’m anti-freezer burn so I don’t leave most food in the freezer too long. Thaw in the fridge overnight and rewarm on the stovetop on low heat.
More Cabbage Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Mushroom Lentil Cabbage Roll Soup
- Rustic Cabbage and Potato White Bean Soup by The Simple Veganista
- Spicy Vegetarian Cabbage Soup by Gimme Some Oven
the recipe
White Bean Cabbage Potato Soup
Servings:7 Servings
Calories:217kcal
Hearty, nourishing and simple ingredients. White Bean Cabbage Potato Soup is a steamy one pot recipe that will serve up cozy during the coldest months of the year. This recipe is vegetarian, easily vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbs Unsalted Butter, olive oil or plant butter* (see note)
- 5 C (436g) Leeks, sliced thin, about two large leeks
- 8 C (348g) Green or Savoy Cabbage, cut into bite size pieces or thinly sliced** (see note)
- 2 C (285g) Russet or Yellow Finn Potatoes, skins on, cut into small cubes, about one large potato
- 8 C (1.7kg) Vegetable Broth *** see note
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt + more to taste, reduce to 1/4 tsp if using plant butter and adjust to taste
- 2 C (425g) Cooked Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
- 4-5 Thyme Springs, tied
- Squeeze of Lemon to taste
- Parmesan Cheese for garnish (optional)
- Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- In a large 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 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 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 low 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 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.
Notes
*Olive Oil or Butter: I prefer butter because it adds an added richness to this soup, but if dairy free, olive oil 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 (savory pictured): 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 your taste.
Recipe adapted from NYT.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1380mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1737IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 3mg
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