Summer Cabbage Soup

Summer soups reach tasty heights with this seasonal twist on a classic comfort food! Summer Cabbage Soup takes the wholesome goodness of traditional cabbage soup and infuses it with the vibrant flavors of peak-season produce. Tender cabbage, zucchini, summer squash, leeks, red bell peppers, and more, all simmered in a light broth with a touch of umami tomatoey richness. It’s a light yet satisfying soup that’s perfect for busy summer days or when you’re craving a healthy reset.

Why I love this soup and think you will, too!

Sometimes, there’s just nothing like a really good vegetable soup when you’re looking for something light and healthy. And at its core, cabbage soup is exactly that: healthy vegetables in a tasty broth.

Cabbage soup is often considered a winter soup, but with all of the soup’s vegetables at their peak in the summer, it seemed long past time to bring this soup to the summer table.

This is the soup that I make a big batch of and then portion out into individual lunch servings, refrigerating some and freezing others, for quick and light bite to eat on a busy day.

It’s also the soup that makes it worth it to make the stop at the farmer’s market. Load up your bag with these beautiful ingredients and feel good about supporting your local economy while making delicious homemade soup!

Main Ingredients, Prep Notes, and Substitutions

Cabbage — The beautiful thing about this soup is that frugal cabbage is the star of the show. And you have so many options. Take note that this recipe as written requires only about half of a small head of cabbage, so plan to either double the recipe, or use the rest of the head for other purposes. I have the weird luck that a local produce store sells half-heads. You can also use bagged coleslaw as a shortcut!

If you’re wanting to branch out on the cabbage front, the good news is that you can use just about any kind of cabbage. Savoy is always interesting. And who doesn’t love a good Napa? Can you substitute kale (a close botanical relative of cabbage)? Yes, but I would cook the soup a lot longer than called for, as kale is much sturdier than cabbage. And actually I probably wouldn’t substitute it outright because it’s a different flavor altogether, but if you had some leftover kale from another recipe, you could mix some of it in with the cabbage.

Aromatic vegetables — This soup has a solid foundation of aromatic veggies, both for flavor and texture: Onions, leeks, celery, red bell peppers, and garlic. Can you add carrots? Oh, yes. I just didn’t happen to have any on hand.

Summer vegetables — Cabbage soup is super flexible and can accommodate a lot of customization. I added fresh summer squash, zucchini, and Yukon gold potatoes, because I’m always looking for ways to use these abundant backyard garden veggies!

Tomatoes — Did you know that tomatoes are a great source of umami? I use two kinds in this recipe, tomato paste and fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Using tomatoes in your soups is a great way to add tons of flavor without calories, salt, or saturated fats.

Seasonings — I wanted to add a little summer smokiness to the soup, so I included smoked paprika. That, along with the fire-roasted tomatoes, gives a touch of a “grilled” influence without actually having to grill anything.

Don’t forget the lemon juice. Its bright acidity heightens the flavors in the soup.

Cook’s Notes

• Bulk it up — While this is a light and lovely vegetable soup that’s perfect for when the heat outside means you don’t want a lot on your tummy, you can definitely customize this soup with added protein and carbs. Personally, I make this soup as-is as a base and freeze individual servings. And then I add things as the mood strikes:
  • For lunch, I might cook up a little ground turkey and add that to my bowl.
  • Or maybe spoon in leftover rice from the previous night’s burritos.
  • You could also add a can of beans to the soup as you’re cooking for extra protein (I recommend Great Northern beans).
  • Or add a little Crispy Fried Tofu for a little high-protein crunch.
• Storage — This soup freezes beautifully, so don’t hesitate to make extra. If not freezing, the soup keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• This soup is vegetarian and vegan as written. You can swap out the vegetable broth for chicken broth if you want. For this soup, I like the stronger, savory-sweet flavor that vegetable broth adds.
• Speaking of sweet, I don’t call for it in the recipe, but sometimes a nice sprinkle of granulated sugar over the finished soup tames the vegetal quality nicely. Prior to serving, I also sometimes add a little drizzle of balsamic glaze, which is also slightly sweet.
• I don’t often use toppings on this soup, but a dusting of grated Parmigiano Regianno is quite nice.

How to Make Summer Cabbage Soup

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.

Step 1: Saute the aromatics

Heat the oil in a large pot and saute the aromatic vegetables until they begin to soften.

Step 2: Add the tomato paste and seasonings

Move the aromatics to one side, and spoon in the tomato paste, plus the garlic and herbs and spices. Add a splash of the broth and then stir to create a fragrant paste. Mix in with the aromatic veggies.

Step 3: Add the liquids and veggies

Pour in the broth and tomatoes along with the remaining veggies and bring the soup to light boil. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer and let the soup cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 4: Finish the soup

Test a potato cube to make sure it’s done: it should smash easily against the side of the pot. Then check a few pieces of the cabbage to see if they’re done to your liking. I prefer a little sturdiness and a tiny bit of crunch to the cabbage. If you like more of a soft wilt, continue cooking for another 5 or 10 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Taste, and add more of each to your liking. The lemon juice really makes the flavors pop, so don’t skimp there!

Top the soup with the minced parsley or cilantro and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Vegetable soups complement just about everything, so you have a lot of options when building a menu that includes Summer Cabbage Soup. Here are a few ideas:

• You can never go wrong with a beautiful loaf of buttery, toasty bread!
• Or, you can go a little extra on the bread with something like this Mediterranean Burrata Fried Toast or Chili Crisp Fried Eggs.
• When peaches are in season, I whip up a Tomato Peach Burrata Salad.
• A quick Summer Chopped Salad is always delish.
• An icy chilled melon salad is always a lovely sidekick to summer soups.

I hope this recipe inspires you to grab up summer’s freshest produce and make this light and lovely Summer Cabbage Soup. Summer might not be official soup season, but it really is a great time to cook up the tastiest soups!

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Summer Cabbage Soup Recipe

This light and refreshing Summer Cabbage Soup is a delicious way to enjoy the season’s bounty. Zucchini, summer squash, and red bell peppers add bursts of color and nutrition while umami-rich tomato paste and fire-roasted diced tomatoes charge up the flavors in this healthy, comforting soup.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage soup, summer cabbage soup

Servings: 4

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onions (about 1/2 medium white onion)
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning herb blend
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 14 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup summer squash sliced thinly into half moons or quarters (about one small squash)
• 1/2 cup zucchini sliced thinly into half moons or quarters (about one small zucchini)
• 8 ounces baby Yukon potatoes (3 small potatoes), scrubbed and diced
• 4 to 5 cups chopped green cabbage (about 1/2 head, 8 ounces)
• juice from half of a lemon
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley or cilantro

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a 4 to 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium until shimmering.
• Add the onions, celery, peppers, and leeks and saute until they begin to soften, 5-8 minutes.
• Scootch the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and Italian herbs to the cleared side. Add a splash of broth and stir the paste and seasonings together until loose and fragrant, then mix into the rest of the vegetables.
• Increase heat to medium-high and pour in the remaining the vegetable broth and fire roasted tomatoes. Bring the soup to a light boil
• Add the summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, and cabbage to the pot and give everything a good stir. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer.
• Cook the soup for about 20 minutes. Check the cabbage for doneness. I like a little bit of sturdiness to the leaves rather than a full, soft wilt. When the cabbage is done to your liking, remove the soup from the heat.
• Stir in a tablespoon of the lemon juice, and give the soup a taste. Add salt, black pepper, and lemon juice as needed, until the soup is flavorful and pops with flavor.
• Sprinkle the fresh parsley or cilantro over the soup before serving.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.