Cabbage soup may not sound like the most exciting meal, but trust me, this version with ham, carrots, and onions is delicious! It is also nutritious, low-calorie, and tastes fantastic! Since cabbage shrinks and softens when cooked, you can add a lot to the pot. In this ham and cabbage soup, we call for eight cups of chopped cabbage, and you could probably stir in quite a bit more.
Key Ingredients
Ham: I use a boneless ham steak for this soup. If you have bone-in ham, use it! Just cut it away from the bone, then add the bone to the soup as it simmers (it should add a bit more flavor). Remove it before serving. Cabbage: Use regular white cabbage for this soup. I like how it softens as it simmers. If you have leftover cabbage, consider using it in one of our other cabbage recipes! Veggies: In addition to the cabbage, we saute onion, carrots, garlic, and rosemary before adding broth to this soup. They create a flavorful base. Fresh or dried rosemary will work. I’ve given amounts for both in the recipe below. Tomatoes: I add a small can of tomatoes to the soup, but fresh tomatoes work fine. See the tip below the recipe for substituting fresh tomatoes. Broth: Any light broth or stock works in this cabbage soup recipe. My go-to’s are chicken stock, chicken broth, ham stock, and vegetable broth.
How to Make Ham and Cabbage Soup
Have you ever had ham in soup? It’s delicious. As the soup simmers, the ham flavors and seasons the broth, making it rich, hearty, and ultra-flavorful. To make this soup, you’ll cook the onion, carrots, and ham in a big pot and then add the rest of the ingredients. It comes together quickly and only needs to simmer for about 20 minutes before you can dig in. I love this soup with a side of crusty bread or homemade focaccia. Homemade garlic bread would be pretty amazing, too! 1 medium onion, chopped, about 2 cups 4 medium carrots, chopped, about 2 cups 8 ounces boneless ham steak, cubed, about 1 ½ cups 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 cloves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 8 cups chopped white cabbage, about 1 ½ pounds 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with juices 6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium chicken stock, ham stock, or vegetable broth 2 bay leaves Salt, to taste 3 lemon slices or more to taste 2Add the onions, carrots, and cubed ham. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. 3Add the garlic, rosemary, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for one minute. 4Stir in the cabbage, and then pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices, as well as the stock. Add the bay leaves. 5Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Taste and adjust the salt. The ham adds some salt to the soup, so you may not need much additional seasoning. 6Partially cover the pot with a lid, and then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the cabbage and other vegetables are tender. 7Remove the pot from the heat and remove the bay leaves. 8Stir in the lemon slices and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Serve.
