This recipe for vegan cabbage and potato soup is not only healthy, but it is very easy to make. This vegan soup is full of flavor with an Italian twist that makes it even more delicious. It is 100% meatless and has no animal by-products. I also provide you with lots ideas for how you can create different vegan variations of this recipe.
This past winter and early spring was so cold that my husband and I started getting more creative with our soups and this vegan soup was one we enjoyed and I hope you do too.
About this Vegan Cabbage and Potato Soup
This soup recipe is very much like an Italian vegetable soup, since that’s all it has in it, but it’s main three ingredients are cabbage, potato, and onion.
It’s a flexible soup and the measurements I’m providing are what we found works for us. It gives us enough to have a hearty dinner with plenty of leftovers the next few days. It provides approximately 6 to 8 servings, but don’t be surprised to go back for seconds.
You can have it ready in about an hour and a half. You can keep it on the stove longer at a lower temperature to preserve as many nutrients as possible. Just like our Italian kale soup, the longer it cooks the more flavorful it becomes. Too little cooking and it will taste too watery.
Most of the cooking time is unattended, so it’s really just a matter of chopping the vegetables and adding them to the pot, along with the water. How much easier can that be?
Ingredients
This vegan soup uses vegetables that are available at any grocery store. Try to get all organic produce to avoid the exposure to the pesticides sprayed on the crops. Here’s your ingredient list.
Olive Oil
Get a good organic extra virgin olive oil. We use this in the beginning to saute the garlic.
Garlic
You’ll want at least 3 or 4 garlic cloves. Dice them up for sautéing.
Cabbage
This recipe calls for 2 cups of freshly cut cabbage. That came to about a half a head of cabbage. We opted for slicing the cabbage instead of large stew-style cuts.
Fun trivia fact – the largest cabbage ever grown was 138 pounds by Scott Palmer, and showcased at an Alaska fair in 2012. Fortunately we won’t need that much!
Carrots
Carrots add a bit of sweetness, so we used 1 cup of chopped carrots. This was about one large carrot or two medium/small carrots.
Potatoes
Red potatoes hold their form in soup, so I recommend that variety. 4 medium size red potatoes worked great, that came to about 4 cups of chopped potatoes.
Tomatoes
1 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes are best. Meaty tomatoes such as San Marzano or even cherry tomatoes are fine. They may not offer as much flavor as canned tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute 1/2 can of diced tomatoes. You can add more if you want, I just didn’t want this recipe to have a heavy tomato soup flavor.
Onion
Onions are so healthy and since we aren’t using a broth, the onions are critical for flavor. This recipe calls for 1 large onion or 2 cups of chopped onions.
Water
We use water because we don’t buy our vegetable broth. However, feel free to use vegetable broth instead; just make sure to watch the sodium as well as keeping an eye on the herbs used in it. If it has some crazy herbs, it may really alter the flavor of the soup.
Is Vegan Cabbage Potato Soup Healthy?
Cabbage soup was and still is frequently used for dieting. If you’ve ever heard of the cabbage soup diet, this is similar but with some Italian flavors. I think our vegan cabbage potato soup is very healthy, and I’m always looking to add more healthy Italian recipes for you.
This soup is a great choice for anyone trying to eat healthier, whether on a diet or not, and vegan or not.
Well, let’s take a look at the nutritional aspect of the vegetables we’re using, specifically the cabbage, potatoes, and onions.
Cabbage
One cup of cabbage contains only 15 calories according to MSU. Drinking the juice of cabbage helps with ulcers and this is something that in our family we can testify to. It’s cured stomach ulcers in just 2 days while medications did nothing.
According to webmd, a half cup of cooked cabbage fulfills 1/3 of the Vitamin C daily requirement.
Cabbage also contains high amounts of fiber and iron, along with Vitamin C, K, and Potassium. For this recipe we’re using 4 cups of cabbage.
Potatoes
I love using potatoes in soups because they help bulk it up, but they also offer some great nutritional benefits too. A medium potato has 110 calories and we’re using three. Remember though, that this soup is for 6-8 servings, so you’re not eating three potatoes all at once! They are also high in potassium, more so than a banana!
Onions
Onions have a lot of antioxidants in them, so anytime we can slow cook them the better – or add raw into a nice Italian green salad. Onions also have B6, Magnesium, and Vitamin C. A medium sized onion has only 44 calories.
Vegan Cabbage and Potato Soup is Economical
I think it goes without saying that this vegan cabbage and potato soup is not only healthy, but economical as well. The fact alone that the soup is meatless helps cut down on the costs.
For 6 to 8 servings, the cost of a half head of cabbage, three potatoes, two onions, garlic, tomatoes, and a carrot is pretty cheap. I love it!
Here are some rough costs based on what I’ve got as of today.
- ½ cabbage – $1.50
- 1 onion – $.75
- 4 potatoes $1.25
- ½ can of diced tomatoes – $1
- 1 carrot – $.50 if not less.
TOTAL COST: $5.00
How to Make a Meatless Cabbage Potato Soup
To make a meatless cabbage and potato soup, just follow these steps below. I’ve got images to help step you through the entire cooking process. Make sure to read my tips further down on variations you can do to the soup.
First, you heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Once it has heated, add in the chopped garlic. You can mince the garlic using a press or you can chop it really fine.
Allow the garlic to simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes. Don’t let the garlic burn. Make sure to give it a nice stir so that the garlic is fully coated with the olive oil.
Once it gets aromatic, add in the chopped onions and stir. Turn the heat up to medium. To help the onions sweat a little faster, cover with a lid to trap the steam. Otherwise it’s fine to do without the lid. Make sure the onions don’t brown.
Once the onions are translucent and soft, after about 8 minutes, add in the chopped carrot, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes.
Stir to mix them well and coat with the olive oil we added.
Next, add in 8 cups of water or vegetable broth and stir. Add a dash of salt and pepper, however this is optional. Sometimes people prefer to add their own salt and pepper when it’s served.
Bring the vegan cabbage potato soup to a boil by turning the heat up to high, then lower to a low-medium heat.
Cover and cook for at least an hour to an hour and a half.
If you need to speed things up, then cook the soup over medium heat at a low boil. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.
Questions about Making Vegan Cabbage and Potato Soup
Here are some questions you may have about making a good vegan cabbage and potato soup.
Best Way to Cut Cabbage and Potatoes for this Vegan Soup
You have two options, one option is to cut the cabbage and potatoes into large chunks like a stew. Or you can cut them smaller. I like my cabbage sliced and my potatoes cut into small cubes. The main reason is that they cook more quickly.
If you prefer to have them larger, go for it.
Can this meatless cabbage and potato soup be made in advance?
Yes, this soup can be made in advance. You can make it up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. All you need to do to reheat it is to simply heat it up in a large pot over the stove.
Can you freeze a vegan cabbage and potato soup?
Yes, absolutely! You can store it in the freezer up to 6 months, or even more. Just make sure to store it in an air tight container labeled with the contents and pack date.
You can also store in the fridge for up to 5 days for leftovers. I think it even tastes better as a leftover.
Can you cook the soup in a slow cooker or insta pot?
Yes, you can. Set a slow cooker to low and set for 6 hours. For an Insta Pot – just make sure to follow any soup instructions that came with the manual. Since there is no meat in the recipe, you don’t have to worry about under cooking anything.
What to Serve with Vegan Cabbage and Potato Soup
This is one of those soups where nice fresh artisan bread comes in handy. A whole wheat or hearty grain bread that is toasted is a perfect choice.
But here are some other side dishes that go well with this vegan cabbage and potato soup recipe. Some may not be 100% vegan, but you can substitute any butter for olive oil.
Italian sauteed zucchini with garlic and olive oil is delicious as a side dish.
Give your broccoli some Italian flavor with broccoli and garlic.
One of my favorite Italian side dishes is my Italian green beans with olive oil recipe.
An Italian green salad goes great with this vegan cabbage and potato soup recipe.
Additional Ingredients for a Meatless Cabbage and Potato Soup
There are many variations for a cabbage and potato soup, but since we’re going vegan here we want to use only plant-based ingredients. Here are some additional ideas to incorporate into this simple vegan soup.
- Celery
- Fennel
- Leeks – these provide a milder onion flavor with the cabbage
- Cannellini beans
- Bay leaf (make sure to remove when done)
- White vinegar
- Pearled barley
- Cayenne pepper – for serving at end to add some heat
Related Soup Recipes
If you enjoy healthy soups like our vegan cabbage and potato soup, you may also enjoy the following!
Italian cannellini bean soup is loaded with protein and tons of Italian flavor!
Try our super healthy Italian kale soup , it’s delicious!
I truly hope you enjoy this vegan cabbage and potato soup. Although I don’t always have vegan recipes on my site, I do try to offer options for people who love Italian recipes but need them to be fully vegan and plant-based.
Share your comments below. I’d love to hear of any changes you make to the recipe!
Vegan Cabbage and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3-5 diced or minced garlic cloves
- 4 cups shredded/sliced cabbage approx. 1/2 head of cabbage
- 4 cups chopped red potatoes about 5 potatoes
- 1 cup diced or chopped tomatoes approx. 1/2 14 or 16oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped carrots 2 medium carrots
- 2 cups chopped onions about 1 large onion
- fresh Italian parsley added as a topping when serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over low heat in large pan.
- Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes over low-medium heat, covered. Do not let them brown.
- Add carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes.
- Add the 8 cups of water.
- Add dash of salt and pepper. (optional)
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to simmer and cook covered for an hour and half.
- Top with some fresh Italian parsley
Notes
- The amounts above are approximations for what we use. Please feel free to adjust to suit your own tastes. Add more garlic, more potatoes, etc.
- I like to sprinkle my soup with some cayenne pepper to give it some heat.
- Dipping toasted bread is absolutely delicious in the soup!
- To cook the soup faster, cook at a very low boil for about 30 minutes.
- This makes a great main dish, or even a healthy side dish!
