Sausage, Potato and Cabbage Soup (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty soup with savory sausage, creamy potatoes, and tender cabbage in a flavorful broth. Perfect comfort food.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into rounds

→ Vegetables

02 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped
04 - 1 large onion, chopped
05 - 2 carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids and Broth

08 - 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf

→ Optional Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Sour cream or crusty bread for serving

# How to Cook:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook until lightly browned, approximately 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add diced potatoes, chopped cabbage, and browned sausage back to the pot. Pour in broth and add bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve hot with sour cream or crusty bread as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns a handful of humble ingredients into something that feels like a warm hug in a bowl.
  • The smoky sausage flavors every spoonful without needing fancy techniques or hard to find spices.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when all the flavors have mingled overnight.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour with minimal effort and maximum satisfaction.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage first, that step creates a flavor foundation you can't replicate any other way.
  • If your cabbage is especially thick or tough, slice it thinner so it cooks evenly with the potatoes.
  • Taste before you add extra salt because both the sausage and broth can be quite salty on their own.
  • Let the soup sit for 10 minutes after cooking if you have time, the flavors meld and deepen as it rests.
03 -
  • Use a mix of yellow and red potatoes for varied texture, some will hold their shape while others break down and thicken the broth.
  • If you want a richer soup, stir in a splash of heavy cream at the very end, it transforms the whole bowl.
  • Always cook the garlic briefly and never let it brown, burnt garlic will make the entire pot taste bitter.
  • Double the recipe and freeze half, future you will be so grateful on a busy weeknight.
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