Southern Style Cabbage Soup

This Cabbage Soup recipe is easy to prepare with few ingredients. This soup is seasoned with ham and ready to eat in under an hour.

I use leftover ham when I have some in the freezer or buy ham bits from the meat department at the grocery store.

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They say ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. Anytime I tell my husband I am making Cabbage Soup for dinner, he calls me a few extra times during his work day! This dish is popular in my home for it’s flavor and for it’s  stick-to-the-ribs goodness.

Having been born and raised in the south, I grew up eating Cabbage soup cooked just like this, seasoned with ham bits and served with a side of cornbread.

Tools Used

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cabbage
• ham pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth (substitute water if needed)
• About 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar

Directions

Step 1

Cut the cabbage into bite-size pieces using a large sharp knife and a cutting board.

Step 2

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Step 3

Add the ham pieces to the water or broth.

Step 4

Add the chopped cabbage to the Dutch oven with the broth and ham. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then toss in the sugar. Stir well and allow to return to a boil.

Step 5

Allow to boil gently until the cabbage has become tender, stirring often. It should take about 30-45 minutes for your cabbage soup to be ready. You can add the lid once your cabbage has boiled down beneath to top of the Dutch oven.

Note

The cabbage will turn a lighter color and become tender. You may need to add water to keep the cabbage covered so you will have plenty of juice for your soup. You can either add water or more chicken broth if you have it available but do not allow all of the liquid to boil out.

Serve and enjoy! We like to serve Homemade Cornbread with Cabbage soup.

More Cabbage Recipes

• Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Skillet Cabbage, Rice & Sausage
• Stovetop Grilled Cabbage Steaks with Bacon
• Homemade Creamy Cole Slaw

Anytime we have Baked Ham, I make a point to save the ham bone in the freezer with at least some meat still attached to be used in a pot of Hoppin John.  I also save enough little pieces of ham into a freezer bag for a pot of Cabbage Soup. It doesn’t take much.

If you don’t have ham pieces in the freezer, don’t worry. Just pick up a small (8 oz.) package of cubed ham from the meat section at the grocery store. 

How to Buy Cabbage

• Select a head of cabbage that is firm and compact.
• Any markings may indicate damage such as worm damage.
• Typically at the grocery store, you will find heads of cabbage with all of the loose outer dark green leaves already removed. If you want to use the darker green outer leaves, shop at your local farmers market for locally grown cabbage.
• Cabbage is a cooler weather crop so it should be available fresh throughout the winter months.

The Benefits of Eating Cabbage include:

• 1/2 cup of cooked cabbage provides 47% of your daily Vitamin C*
• 1/2 cup also provides 102% of Vitamin K*
• Cabbage contains antioxidants
• Cabbage soup is a frugal meal