If you love classic German potato salad, then you’ll love this cabbage soup with sausage. It combines the signature components of traditional German recipes, like cabbage, potatoes and caraway. While this soup is cozy and comforting, it’s not at all heavy. Light turkey sausage and kidney beans pack plenty of protein, while a generous portion of shredded cabbage rounds out the soup with fiber. Overall, it’s a healthy one-pot dinner that’s also quick to make—especially when you use store-bought broth and pre-cooked sausages.
Ingredients for Cabbage Soup with Sausage
- Turkey kielbasa or Polish sausage: Smoked sausage is the star ingredient in this cozy soup. Use turkey sausage to make it a bit lighter, or pick pre-cooked sausages that only need to be sliced—it doesn’t get much easier than that!
- Potatoes: Potatoes absorb plenty of flavor from the spicy sausages. Make sure to use a type of potato that can stand up to the heat, like Yukon Golds.
- Shredded cabbage: We use green cabbage in this soup. To shred cabbage quickly, use a food processor or a box grater.
- Aromatics: Much of the flavor here comes from the sausage, so the seasonings are simple. Onion adds sweetness to the soup base, as does a bit of sugar. Caraway seeds and cabbage are a classic match, and a touch of black pepper adds mild heat.
- Chicken broth: Use a good store-bought chicken broth, or make your own homemade chicken broth.
- Kidney beans: Earthy kidney beans add protein and a nice chewy texture.
- Cider vinegar: Punchy, acidic, slightly sweet cider vinegar brightens up the rich soup. You won’t taste the vinegar itself, just a lively flavor in the broth.
- Sugar: To round out the acid from the cider vinegar, sprinkle in some granulated sugar.
- Water and flour: A slurry of flour and water will thicken the soup without the need for heavy cream.
Directions
Step 1: Brown the sausage
In a large saucepan or nonstick skillet, brown the sliced sausages over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the vegetables, broth and seasonings
Add the potatoes, cabbage, onion, broth, 1/2 cup of water, sugar, caraway seeds and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 18 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Step 3: Add the beans and vinegar
Add the beans and cider vinegar. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4: Thicken the soup
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and remaining water until they form a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes until thickened.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the sausage: Any kind of pre-cooked sausage works well here, including chicken, turkey, beef or pork sausage. Reach for spicy, mild, herbed or plain.
- Switch up the veggies: Use sweet potatoes in place of plain potatoes (the sweetness is tasty with the sausage), or try kale or another leafy green in place of cabbage. You can also add more vegetables. Chopped celery and carrots add nice crunchy texture.
- Make a creamy soup: Skip the flour slurry and add heavy cream or half-and-half to thicken the broth instead.
- Make it gluten-free: Swap the flour for cornstarch or all-purpose gluten-free flour to add this to your list of gluten-free soups. (Just make sure that your sausage and broth are also gluten-free.)
- Add seasonings: Dried or fresh dill are a dream pairing with sausages and potatoes. If you love heat, you can add a pinch of pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. A dollop of Dijon mustard would also be tasty.
How to Store Cabbage Soup with Sausage
This leftover cabbage soup with sausage and potatoes keeps well for up to four days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. The potatoes will soak up some broth as the soup sits; add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up to your desired consistency.
Can you freeze cabbage soup with sausage?
While most soups freeze well, you shouldn’t really freeze potato soup. The potatoes soak up lots of liquid and tend to turn grainy in the freezer. If you really want to make sausage soup ahead of time and freeze it, we suggest making the soup without the potatoes. Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to three months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to reheat the soup, boil potatoes in water on the stovetop. When tender, remove them from the heat and carefully add them to the soup.
How do you reheat cabbage soup with sausage?
Reheat individual bowls of cabbage soup with smoked sausage in the microwave, covered with a paper towel to prevent splatters. You can also reheat it by simmering the soup in a saucepan or pot on the stovetop.
Cabbage Soup with Sausage Tips
What can you serve with cabbage soup with sausage?
Technically, this makes a great one-pot sausage dinner, since it contains protein, vegetables and starch. If you want to serve it with a side dish, crusty bread is always a helpful sponge for soaking up extra broth. Grilled cheese would make a hearty supper, and a simple green salad would offset the heavier potatoes and sausages.
Can I omit the sugar in this soup?
The sugar in this soup recipe is meant to balance the strong savory flavors of cabbage, sausage and broth. That said, it’s not essential, and you can leave it out if you’re trying to reduce sugar.
