Simple ingredients create a hearty 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.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: “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.” ~ Suzanne
White Bean and Cabbage Soup Comfort Food
It’s chilly outside, and the rain and wind has returned here in 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. Especially when there’s potatoes involved! 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
- filling and hearty
- easy to make in one pot
- sooooo comforting
You’ll enjoy this simple yet flavorful soup if you love cozy homemade soup recipes.
About the Key Ingredients
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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How to Make Cabbage Bean Soup with Potatoes
step by step
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:
- Apple Beet Salad
- Rustic Sourdough Bread
- Vegetarian Caesar Salad
Traci’s 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 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. 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.
Hearty White Bean and Cabbage Soup with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted 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 Fine 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 occasionally to cook down, about 9-10 minutes (the pot will be full).
- Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon 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 (beyond the 1/2 teaspoon). If the soup tastes bland to you, it needs more salt. 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
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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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!