Simple Red Cabbage Soup

This vibrant Red Cabbage Soup is a creamy dream come true, but hold the cream! Packed with flavor and goodness, thanks to red cabbage, potatoes, and a touch of secret magic (don’t worry, it’s healthy!), this soup is surprisingly creamy without a drop of cream.

Red cabbage soup in a white and blue bowl with bowls of sunflower and nigella seeds, green onions, and yogurt next to it.

Recipe video

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Purple cabbage soup is easy to make in one pan, perfect for a light and healthy lunch or cozy dinner. Get ready to mop up that entire bowl – I won’t judge!

This purple cabbage soup is yet another of my long list of no-cream creamy recipes like roasted tomato garlic soup, healthy “cream” of cabbage soup, creamy mushroom zucchini pasta and easy vegetable pasta with vegan garlic sauce.)

If you are wondering what to do with red cabbage, this yummy soup could become your go-to recipe. Unless you’re making honey mustard cole slaw with red cabbage.

The easy purple-colored soup is made with red cabbage and potatoes, topped with simple yogurt-based cream and crunchy toasted seeds.

Spices? Nothing but salt and pepper is enough to season this flavorful soup. Vegetables, nuts, and seeds provide a lot of flavor to this soup with red cabbage.

It is also quite filling on its own as a cozy family dinner like my chicken lemon coriander soup and Indian mutton soup. You might only need some toast to soak up all the deliciousness.

For a more indulging experience, pair this red cabbage soup with crispy cheesy smashed potatoes.

Red cabbage is great to include in your diet as it will improve your calorie intake and help you to lose weight. It is because cabbage is low in calories and high in dietary fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller and prevents you from overeating.

We’ll talk more about the health benefits of purple cabbage later. Now I’m more excited to share the recipe!

Purple cabbage soup scooped in a spoon from a white and blue bowl with bowls of sunflower and nigella seeds, green onions, and yogurt next to it.

Ingredients

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)

Labelled ingredients for red cabbage soup
  • Red cabbage or purple cabbage: Choose red cabbage that is densely packed and heavy in weight with firm outer leaves.
  • Butter and olive oil: Here we use a combination of both oil and butter. This is the hack I use in many recipes like carrot and celery soup. It helps control calories and saturated fat without compromising on taste.
  • Sunflower seeds can be replaced with other nuts/seeds.
  • Nigella seeds are also called black cumin or kalonji. They have a slightly bitter, pungent flavor that balances the sweetness of cooked red cabbage. You can substitute them with sesame seeds.
  • Stock: Use vegetable stock or chicken stock. You can also use bouillon cubes and water.

How To Make Red Cabbage Soup

Sauté

  1. Heat oil in a deep pot. Roughly chop onions and garlic and add. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
  2. Add almonds, diced potatoes and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
  3. Shred red cabbage and add to the pot. Stir for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add stock.
  5. Cook covered until the vegetables are soft.

Blend

Use an immersion blender and blend the veggies until smooth.

Or cool the cooked vegetables and blend them using a regular blender.

Season

  1. Transfer the blended soup back to the pot.
  2. Add salt, pepper, and water as required.
  3. Bring the soup to a boil.
  4. Simmer for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.

Toast The Seeds

Heat a small pan and toast sunflower seeds until slightly browned and crisp. Keep the flame low.

Remove sunflower seeds and add nigella seeds. Turn off the flame immediately. Toast the seeds in the hot pan for a few minutes and remove.

Garnish and Serve

  1. Pour the soup into individual bowls.
  2. Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice and stir it with yogurt, salt and pepper. (This is the same topping I used for spicy cauliflower soup recipe and the easy pumpkin and carrot soup.)
  3. Drizzle the lemon-flavored yogurt on the soup.
  4. Sprinkle toasted sunflower and nigella seeds.
  5. Garnish with green onions.
  6. Devour!

Recipe Tips

  • Use blanched almonds for a more “creamy” soup like the broccoli almond soup.
  • For more citrus flavor, you can add lemon zest to the yogurt along with lemon juice.
  • DO NOT TOAST the seeds on high flame. They can easily get burned.
  • Once you add nigella seeds to the pan, turn off the flame. The residual heat in the pan is enough to toast them.
Red cabbage soup in 3 white and blue bowls with bowls of sunflower and nigella seeds, green onions, and yogurt next to them.

Common Questions About Red Cabbage

Can red cabbage be substituted for green cabbage in soup?

Red cabbage is more colorful and nutritious. Red cabbage needs a couple of minutes more to be cooked soft when compared with green cabbage, but they can definitely be used interchangeably.
Red cabbage also contains more vitamins, cancer-fighting flavonoids, and a winning amount of antioxidants which improve eye, teeth, bone, & immune health.

What is the healthiest way to eat red cabbage?

Red cabbage is rich in antioxidants some of which may be lost when boiled. So eating it raw (like in a salad or coleslaw) is the most beneficial.
However, their high fiber content can also make them hard to digest. It will be easier on your stomach if you cook them (boiling/steaming is healthier than sauteing or frying) instead of eating them raw.

Does red cabbage taste good when boiled?

It has a peppery flavor when raw and a mild and sweeter taste when cooked. It complements the taste of other vegetables when added to the soup. You can complement the sweetness of red cabbage with an acid like lemon juice which works perfectly for this soup. And the creamy yogurt adds to the richness of the soup.

Red cabbage soup in a white and blue bowl with bowls of sunflower and nigella seeds, green onions, and yogurt next to it.

Health Benefits Of Red Cabbage

(Source)

  • Cabbage is a very powerful brain food. The presence of vitamin K and anthocyanins within cabbage can boost brain power and concentration.
  • It is a low-calorie vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals.
  • Cabbage contains powerful antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
  • It is rich in vitamin C which boosts immunity. Red cabbage has 30% more vitamin C.
  • Cabbage, especially the purple variety has a high content of glucosinolates which have been associated with anticancer properties.
  • It contains insoluble fiber which helps improve digestion.
  • The vibrant red cabbage contains anthocyanins that reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Cabbage, especially red cabbage is rich in potassium which helps regulate blood pressure.
  • It is a great source of sulfur that helps fight infections and speed up healing.

More Soups You May Like

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Red cabbage soup in a white and blue bowl with bowls of sunflower and nigella seeds, green onions, and yogurt next to it.

Simple Red Cabbage Soup Recipe

An easy red cabbage soup that tastes as amazing as it looks. This creamy soup with red cabbage and potato does not use cream, yet it is hard to believe it even after you mop up the whole bowl of the delicious soup!
Author: Sheeba
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 219 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 2 onions diced
  • 6 cloves garlic chopped
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • 2 medium potatoes diced
  • 3 stalks celery (1 cup chopped)
  • 6 cups shredded red cabbage (or ¾ of a medium head of cabbage)
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • ½ tablespoon nigella seeds
  • ¼ cup green onions finely chopped

STEP BY STEP IMAGES

Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil and butter in a deep pot. Add chopped onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
    2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon butter, 2 onions, 6 cloves garlic
  • Add almonds, diced potatoes and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
    ¼ cup almonds, 2 medium potatoes, 3 stalks celery
  • Add shredded red cabbage and stir for a couple of minutes. Add stock, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft.
    6 cups shredded red cabbage, 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • Use an immersion blender and blend the veggies until smooth.
    Or cool the cooked vegetables and blend them using a regular blender.
  • Transfer the blended soup back to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and water as required.
  • Bring the soup to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
  • Heat a small pan and toast sunflower seeds until slightly browned and crisp. Keep the flame low.
    2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • Remove sunflower seeds from the pan and add nigella seeds. Turn off the flame immediately. Toast the seeds in the hot pan for a few minutes and remove.
    ½ tablespoon nigella seeds
  • Pour the soup into individual bowls. Whisk lemon juice and yogurt in a small bowl. Drizzle the lemon-flavored yogurt on the soup.
    2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons yogurt
  • Sprinkle toasted sunflower and nigella seeds. Garnish with green onions.
    ¼ cup green onions

Video

Notes

  1. Nigella seeds are also called black cumin or kalonji. They have a slightly bitter, pungent flavor that balances the sweetness of cooked red cabbage. You can substitute them with sesame seeds.
  2. Sunflower seeds can be replaced with other nuts/seeds.
  3. Use blanched almonds for a more “creamy” soup.
  4. For more citrus flavor, you can add lemon zest to the yogurt along with lemon juice.
  5. Do not toast the seeds on high flame. They can easily get burned.
  6. Once you add nigella seeds to the pan, turn off the flame. The residual heat in the pan is enough to toast them.
nutrition facts for red cabbage soup

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Author profile photo

Hi! I’m Sheeba, welcome to Go Healthy ever after!

I have a passion for cooking delicious nourishing food that’s easy to cook with fresh natural ingredients free from additives or preservatives. The easy healthy recipes you find here will inspire you to cook with creativity.

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