Red Cabbage Soup With Bacon

A delicious and versatile red cabbage soup with bacon or pancetta that is loaded with vegetables and flavor.

A clay bowl full of chunky red cabbage and winter root vegetable soup. There is a big dollop of sour cream on top.

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You’re Going To Love Red Cabbage Soup!

Whether you call it red cabbage or purple cabbage — you should try this delicious and hearty red cabbage soup, which combines the beautiful and healthy red cabbage with smoky bacon and bone broth. It makes for a great starter soup or even a light dinner or lunch, especially when combined with something like my roasted vegetable salad.

Another red cabbage recipe you should check out is traditional German Rotkohl, a braised red cabbage side dish.

You may also want to try Segedinsky Gulas, which is a thick hearty stew made with sauerkraut, or my recipe for German eintopf sauerkraut soup.

Some of my favorite soup and stew recipes from the blog can be found at that link.

Equipment

  • Heavy soup or stock pot.
  • Cutting board, knives, veggie peeler.

Ingredients

All of the authentic ingredients you need to make this red cabbage soup, along with any notes and substitutions.

All of the ingredients needed to make this red cabbage soup.

Instructions

Diced bacon on a ood cutting board.

Diced red cabbage, carrots, and potatoes on a wooden board.

Diced red cabbage on a wooden cutting board.

Step 1: Prep all of your ingredients. Dice the pancetta or bacon and all of the vegetables and red cabbage.

Bacon being crisped and rendered in a heavy black pan.

Step 2: In a large Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the bacon until it’s starting to get crispy. Low and slow is best. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Do not drain the fat, it adds tons of flavor to this soup.

Vegetables and carrots being browned in a heavy black pan.

Step 3: Add the onion, carrot, and potatoes to the pot and sauté about 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add more fat or oil if necessary.

Chopped red cabbage added to the pot with spices.

Step 4: Add the cabbage, honey, salt, pepper, cumin, mustard, and nutmeg to the pot. Stir and cook until the cabbage is soft and wilted, about 5-7 minutes.

Liquid in a black pan full of red cabbage and winter root vegetables.

Step 5: Add the chicken stock, vinegar, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a low simmer. Taste for salt and adjust.

Partially cover the pot with a lid and continue to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

A clay bowl full of chunky red cabbage and winter root vegetable soup. There is a big dollop of sour cream on top.

Final Step: After cooking, remove the bay leaf and stir the bacon into the pot.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs if desired.

You can also leave the bacon out of the main soup pot and add it to the soup in the bowls.

Two bowls full of chunky red cabbage and winter root vegetable soup. There is a big dollop of sour cream on top.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

This cabbage soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator and should be stored in a covered container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, and add a splash of water to the pot if necessary.

It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, and then gently reheat it.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

MSN Readers: View The Original Recipe Here (Printable Recipe Card)

A clay bowl full of chunky red cabbage and winter root vegetable soup. There is a big dollop of sour cream on top.

Red Cabbage Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Eastern Europe
Servings: 6
Calories: 385kcal
Author: Jana Dziak

Ingredients

  • 1 whole red cabbage roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup pancetta or bacon diced small
  • 6 cups bone broth or stock chicken, beef, or vegetable
  • 3 large potatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 large carrots diced small
  • 1 large red onion diced small
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly gorund is best
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar apple cider, balsamic, or wine vineagr
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sour cream for serving, optional
  • freshly chopped parsley for serving, optional

Instructions

  • Prep all of your ingredients. Dice the pancetta or bacon and all of the vegetables and red cabbage.
  • In a large Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the bacon until it’s starting to get crispy. Low and slow is best.
  • Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Do not drain the fat, it adds tons of flavor to this soup.
  • Add the onion, carrot, and potatoes to the pot and sauté about 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add more fat or oil if necessary.
  • Add the cabbage, honey, salt, pepper, cumin, mustard, and nutmeg to the pot. Stir and cook until the cabbage is soft and wilted, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the chicken stock, vinegar, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a low simmer. Taste for salt and adjust.
  • Partially cover the pot with a lid and continue to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 
  • After cooking, remove the bay leaf and stir the bacon into the pot. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs if desired. You can also leave the bacon out of the main soup pot and add it to the soup in the bowls.

Notes

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
This cabbage soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator and should be stored in a covered container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, and add a splash of water to the pot if necessary.
It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, and then gently reheat it.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 753mg | Potassium: 1171mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4034IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
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