I’ll give you a moment to put aside your assumption that cabbage soup is boring.
…done? Good. Because this Golden Cabbage Soup is genuinely one of the best things I’ve made all year.
This gorgeously-hued beauty is made in one pot with wholesome, budget-friendly pantry staples like cabbage (obvi), canned white beans, and potatoes. Yet it boasts a luxe-yet-light creaminess, a luscious mouthfeel, and a nuanced blend of rich savoriness and citrus brightness.
File this one under “elevated comfort food”… or “cabbage reaching its luxurious potential.” Or just “your next really good weeknight dinner.”
My two secrets for hype-worthy cabbage soup
I have a long history of hyping up the humble cabbage, but even I’ll admit that cabbage soup isn’t inherently exciting (and kinda sounds like it’s part of a ‘90s detox diet).
However, this is not your average cabbage soup.
It’s wholesome and nourishing, which you might expect, but it’s also got a savory complexity, satisfying heartiness, and luxe texture that make it legitimately craveable.
There are two elements powering its wow-factor:
- An savory supercharger: The miso milk, added at the very end, deepens the flavor profile with a hit of umami and adds a light creaminess.
- A brightness booster: The herb-lemon topping lifts the whole soup with highlights that contrast beautifully with the soup’s savory notes.
Check out the YouTube video to watch me make it step-by-step!
Ingredient notes
- Cabbage: Good ol’ budget-friendly green cabbage does the trick here, melting into silky strands that give this soup a beautiful mouthfeel.
- Fennel: Most of my favorite soups start with onions (see my Mediterranean lentil soup, creamy white bean soup with kale, lemon chickpea soup, really good white bean soup). But I wanted this soup to feel a little special while still relying on simple ingredients. Enter: fennel. Sautéing aromatic fennel cooks off the sharp licorice taste and leaves behind a gorgeously mellow sweetness as the foundation for this soup’s unique flavor profile.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: As the soup cooks, the potatoes absorb the rich flavor of the broth while simultaneously donating their natural starches to give it a comforting creaminess! Bonus: no need to peel them, just scrub them well.
- Cannellini beans: I love creamy cannellinis here, but feel free to use your favorite white bean to bulk up this soup with fiber and protein.
- Miso milk infusion: This finishing element takes the soup from “good” to “heavenly.” By combining white miso with unsweetened plant milk, nutritional yeast, and extra virgin olive oil, you create a supercharged infusion that adds savory flavor, light creaminess, and a silky mouthfeel.
- Herb-lemon topping: Think: gremolata, minus the raw garlic. It’s so simple—just chopped parsley and dill + lemon zest + flaky sea salt—but so impactful, adding a bright dimension you’ll have to taste to believe.
Substitutes
- Have savoy cabbage or napa cabbage? Feel free to use it in lieu of green cabbage.
- I like using soy milk for a protein boost, but you can sub with cashew, coconut, or oat milk–just make sure it doesn’t have any natural sweetness.
- Live outside the U.S. or don’t have Yukon Gold potatoes? Use another yellow-fleshed, medium-starch all-purpose potato.
- Don’t love dill? Just double up on the flat-leaf parsley. Or, if you love fennel, save some of the fronds and use those in place of dill.
As the (self-appointed) head of the Crazy for Cabbage Club AND the Fennel Fan Club, it’s my duty to direct you to some other RPL faves featuring these veggies:
More cabbage this way: Creamy Cabbage Curry and Napa Cabbage Salad.
Or check out my NYT Cooking recipes: Charred Cabbage in Spiced Tomatoes, Creamy Vegan Cabbage Pasta, Deeply Roasted Cabbage with Peanut Crunch.
More fennel this way: Tomato-Fennel Braised Chickpeas, Sausage & Fennel Pasta, Fennel Orange Salad, Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad.
Step-by-step Instructions
- Prep the fennel: Slice off the stalks; discard; halve the bulb lengthwise.
- Slice the halved bulb crosswise very thinly.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once lightly browned on the edges, add the cabbage, garlic, and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Stir occasionally until the cabbage softens (about 3 minutes), then add the fennel seeds, thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), and tomato paste.
- Stir frequently for 2 minutes to cook down the tomato paste and bloom the spices.
- Add the diced potatoes and toss to coat for 1 minute.
- Now add the beans and toss to coat for an additional minute.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf, ½ to 1 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper (10 – 15 twists).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and pour the miso milk into the soup. Heat over medium-low for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Sserve in bowls topped with the herb topping.
Tips for the perfect cabbage soup
Don’t stress as you slice the cabbage
It’s one of the things I love about this recipe: there’s no need to be precious with how you cut the cabbage. Slice it thinly, go for more of a rough chop—as long as there aren’t any pieces that are too large, you’re golden.
In fact, variation is lovely because it gives you more textural variety in the soup: thin slices melt down into silkiness while chopped pieces retain a tender bite.
…but dice the potatoes uniformly
Aim for ½” potato pieces. We want the potatoes to cook at the same rate during the 20-minute simmer. Too small, and they’ll overcook into mush; too large and you’ll need a longer cook time to get them tender.
Don’t skip the herb-lemon topping
The effort:payoff ratio is unbeatable. It takes less than 5 minutes to chop the herbs, zest the lemon, and add a pinch of salt, but it brings the soup to life, adding a dazzling brightness that makes this soup sparkle.
Soups + herby toppers = 🤩 If you love the way the herby topping brightens this soup, check out my creamy white bean soup with kale with gremolata and my Mediterranean lentil soup featuring an herby oil drizzle!
Frequently Asked Questions
Green cabbage works great, but you can also use napa cabbage or savoy cabbage if you’d prefer. Just steer clear of red cabbage, as it’s earthier and less sweet, so it will change the flavor of this soup.
We haven’t tested this recipe in the Instant Pot, but here’s what we’d recommend:
Use the Sauté function to sauté the fennel, cabbage, etc. It might take a few extra minutes for the fennel to brown since the inner pot of the Instant Pot is not as wide as a Dutch oven or soup pot.
After you add the liquid, beans, and potatoes, seal the machine and pressure cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. If the potatoes aren’t tender by then, add another minute or two and pressure cook again.
Open the pot, add the miso milk infusion and just stir it in with the residual heat.
Keep in mind that the cabbage texture will be softer as pressure cooking will break it down more.
Sure, but you’ll have to cook them ahead of time as they won’t have sufficient time to cook during the soup’s simmer.
If it’s helpful, I devoted an entire blog post to the topic of cooking beans from scratch—check it out here!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days, or freeze for 3 months to 4 months.
I love freezing soups/stews/curries in these Souper Cubes as they allow me to freeze individual portions, making it a cinch to reheat a single serving whenever I please!
Has this golden cabbage soup earned a spot among your healthy comfort food faves? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below—and thank you for being part of the RPL community! 🤗
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
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Golden Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
- 1 medium-to-large fennel bulb (~10 oz / 285g for the bulb; see Note 1)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 cups chopped or sliced green cabbage (450g chopped, about 1 small cabbage)
- 6 cloves (24g) garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar & pestle (see Note 2 for sub)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a kick)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 12 oz (340g) Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed (no need to peel; see Note 3)
- 4 cups (960 mL) vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz/425g) can cannellini beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (33g) white miso
- 1 cup (240 mL) soy milk (or creamy plant milk of choice)
- 3 tablespoons (15g) nutritional yeast
- 1 cup (16g) mix of flat-leaf parsley and fresh dill leaves (I like an equal amount)
- 1 medium lemon
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the fennel: Cut off the stalks and discard. If desired, save a handful of the fronds for the garnish. Slice the bulb in half lengthwise (through the root ends), then slice crosswise very thinly (use a mandoline if you have one).
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 TBSP (28g) olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the fennel with a pinch of salt and stir occasionally until lightly browned on the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.Meanwhile, dice the potatoes into ½” (13 mm) pieces.
- Add the cabbage, garlic, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, tossing well into the oil/fennel. Stir occasionally until the cabbage softens and cooks down a bit, about 3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, thyme, red pepper flakes if using, and tomato paste. Stir frequently for 2 minutes (add a splash of water as needed to deglaze).
- Add the potatoes and toss to coat in the mixture for 1 minute. Add the beans and toss to coat for 1 minute. Pour in the broth, deglazing any stuck food bits. Add the bay leaf, 10 to 15 twists of black pepper, and ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use the lower amount if sodium/salt sensitive).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout, or until potatoes are tender.NOTER: You will likely need to lower the heat during cooking, as it will start simmering faster.
- While the soup simmers, prepare the Herb Topping: Finely chop the parsley and dill;. Zest the lemon on top of the herbs (~ 2 tsp zest). Season with ¼ heaping teaspoon flaky sea salt, then mix together.
- While the soup simmers, make the Miso Milk: Add the miso to a measuring cup or bowl along with ~3 tablespoons (45 mL) warm water. Whisk well to dissolve the miso. Pour in the soy milk, nutritional yeast, and remaining 2 tablespoons (28g) olive oil and whisk well (the oil may rise to the top, that's fine).
- When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf. Pour the miso milk into the soup. Gently heat over medium-low for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Remove from the heat and serve in bowls. Garnish each bowl with the herb topping and season to taste with a pinch of flaky salt.
Video
Notes
- Or use 2 small fennel bulbs. If you don’t have access to fennel or really don’t love the flavor, you can substitute with 1 large yellow onion. Slice it thinly and cook until golden brown. On the other hand, if you love fennel, save a few of the wispy fronds and use those in the herb topping alongside the dill and parsley.
- You don’t need the fennel seeds to be in a fine powder, just crushed enough so you don’t have hard seedy pieces. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle or don’t have fennel seeds, replace with an equal amount of dried oregano.
- I dice the potatoes while the fennel cooks, but if you aren’t comfortable with multitasking, dice into 1/2″ (13 mm) pieces before cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
Really liked this recipe! Super savory and comforting for fall. The milk addition was great and added a subtle creaminess added with the miso was great
Subs I did
Fennel bulbs were impossible to find in the Midwest in fall. Subbing for leeks work great!
I forgot I didn’t have red pepper flakes. Subbing for smoked paprika was great!!
Thanks for sharing, Sam! It’s lovely to hear you enjoyed the soup.
Great recipe, as always! This one will definitely be on repeat throughout the colder months, especially at my roommate’s request (she loves anything with fennel!). I left out the dill and herb topping, and it was still delish, but I’ll definitely try those next time. And whatever you do, don’t skimp on the miso milk! It really takes this soup to the next level.
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Regan. Thanks for your kind words!
Nisha you have outdone yourself! My partner and I could not stop eating this. The miso milk launches the soup into another dimension. I thought the fennel shined beautifully without the onion and the potatoes + white beans make this a well rounded meal. Thank you!
We truly appreciate the lovely feedback, Kate! We hope you’ll enjoy this one all soup season 🙂
i really liked this recipe, but to gather and prep/measure/chop all the ingredients for your average cook is NOT “15 minutes”—i would say more like 25. thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, and we’re so glad you liked the soup! You’re right that prep time can vary a lot depending on knife skills and how you like to work. When we tested this, it took us 15 minutes to prep (as mentioned in the post, we chopped the potatoes while the fennel was cooking). Thanks for flagging it, we’ll test the timing again the next time we make it.
Delicious! I made it because I had all the ingredients (I substituted onion for fennel). Everyone enjoyed it. It was the perfect hearty soup on a cold, rainy day.
Thanks for the sweet review, Jana! It’s so awesome to hear this recipe was perfect on a cold and rainy day!
To paraphrase my favorite TV character, this cabbage soup is flames!! 🔥🔥🔥 The perfect warming dish on a cold night.
Awesome, Jesse. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I’m crushed that I can’t find fennel. I’m subbing leeks and I will have to make this again when I get back to civilization and find fennel. Your recipes never disappoint!
Thanks for the sweet words about the recipes, Selena! We can’t wait for you to try the recipe with fennel 🙂
Can broth be substituted for water? Thanks.
Hi Priyanka, if you mean using water in place of the broth, we wouldn’t recommend it, since the broth adds a lot of the soup’s flavor. If you don’t keep broth on hand, a jar of vegetable bouillon base mixed with hot water works well. Hope that helps!
Totally unique flavor profile! Really loved this! I had it with baked tofu pieces mixed into my serving and my huzz had it with some chicken on the side. He hates beans so im shocked he actually liked this. When I saw this on youtube I knew I had to try it.
The smallest cabbage at my grocery store was so big, I only needed 1/2 a cabbage. I also didnt have access to fresh fennel so I subbed with 3/4 parts celary and 1/2 part sweet onion. Glad I have fennel seed.
Thanks for sharing, Holly! We’re so happy you were impressed with the recipe and that your husband enjoyed it as well 🙂
Absolutely lovely! We’re due for some rain tonight and I can’t wait to to tuck into a bowl of this cozy goodness. Only Nisha could turn cabbage into something I’m actually excited to eat!
We hope you loved the soup, Becky! Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Is there a sub for white miso?
Could I use red cabbage?
Hi Michele, the miso adds a lovely savory quality so you could try an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Or maybe a teaspoon of soy sauce, though we haven’t tried that ourselves.
Red cabbage will change the flavor of the soup a bit, as it’s earthier and less sweet. I recommend slicing it thinner than the recipe calls for and cooking it a few minutes longer until it’s nice and tender.
Also, the pigment in red cabbage may turn a bluish color, so just keep that in mind!
Only you can make cabbage taste this good! This soup is bonkers good!!
Thanks so much, Shira! We’re happy to hear you love it!
What a gorgeous recipe! You had me at cannellini beans and miso milk. I can only imagine the umami kick the miso gives to this fiber-rich soup. It’s on my must-make list as we finally move into fall temps here in SE Texas.
We hope you love it, Kim! 🙂
I just made this and I am absolutely mindblown. Such a gorgeous dish – it warms you right from the inside out and is perfect for cozying up with under a blanket on an dark and stormy night. Also, as a biochemist, I’m not sure who loved this more: me or my microbiome. Truly, thank you!
Thank you so much for the amazing feedback, Sophia 🙂 We’re delighted the soup was such a hit!