This healthy ham and cabbage soup is a mix of carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, cabbage and ham, all simmered together in a savory broth. A quick and easy comforting meal that’s full of flavor!
When I’m looking for an easy, cozy recipe idea, I turn to veggie loaded soups like cauliflower soup, chicken vegetable soup, slow cooker sweet potato soup and this simple yet satisfying ham and cabbage soup.
There’s nothing better than a hearty soup loaded with veggies, and this Polish ham and cabbage soup is always a great bet. It’s satisfying, packed with nutrition and is ready in about 45 minutes. It’s just like the one Grandma makes! Ham and cabbage soup is the perfect lunch or dinner for when you’re wanting something hearty and comforting.
INGREDIENTS FOR HAM AND CABBAGE SOUP
The beauty of this soup is you can really customize it to fit whatever vegetables and protein you already have in the fridge. See suggestions at the end of the post. Here is a list of the ingredients that I typically use when I’m cooking it up.
- Butter
- Green Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Flour
- Chicken Broth
- Cabbage
- Ham
- Salt & White Pepper (or black)
HOW DO YOU MAKE HAM AND CABBAGE SOUP?
This soup starts with green pepper, onion, celery and carrots which are sautéed in a little butter in a large pot. I really think the butter adds richness to the soup and is worth the calories. That being said, if you’re looking to make this soup as low-calorie as possible, you can skip the butter and simply simmer everything in the broth. Alternatively, you can sauté the veggies using nonstick cooking spray.
Once the veggies are soft, add flour into pot, stirring to coat the vegetables.
Then, add chicken broth and cook on medium-high until boiling.
Now, add cabbage, ham, salt and pepper. Stir until boiling and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes is up, the soup is ready to serve in bowls and now it’s my favorite part – time to eat!
I recommend using white pepper for your soup. I just feel that it makes for a prettier soup. Feel free to use black pepper, if that’s what you have on hand.
TIPS
- Cut all of the vegetables into similar sizes, so that they cook at the same rate. I prefer to have my veggies in large chunks for a heartier soup.
- I typically make this soup with chicken broth, but you can also make it with vegetable broth or beef broth.
- This soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days which makes it perfect for meal prep.
Soup Variations
My family absolutely loves this soup as is, but you can add other ingredients, depending on your taste preferences or what you already have in the fridge.
- Protein: Try this soup with shredded chicken, smoked sausage, ground turkey or extra lean ground beef.
- Starches: Add some potatoes, pasta, beans, brown rice or quinoa to the soup.
- Vegetables: You can use your favorite veggies for this soup, some great options include zucchini, butternut squash, broccoli, mushrooms, leeks and spinach.
Is This Recipe Healthy?
Ham and cabbage soup is a great way to get in your veggies and also happens to be a lower-calorie soup. This soup is only 250 calories a serving. Any broth based vegetable soup would be a nice choice if you’re trying to eat healthier. Steer clear of soups that contain higher calorie ingredients such as cream, cream cheese, pasta and cheese.
I eat this soup all the time, it’s the absolute best way to get a hefty dose of veggies into your day and it also happens to taste great! Make a batch today and enjoy it all week long for a healthy boost.
How to Cook in the Slow Cooker
This recipe can easily be adapted for use in the slow cooker. Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours. Serve with crusty bread and/or a side salad.
too much cabbage?
Don’t let cabbage go to waste! My favorite cabbage recipes are Cabbage and Noodles, Cabbage Roll Casserole , Cabbage Soup and Slow Cooker Sausage and Cabbage.
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Ham and Cabbage Soup
PrintIngredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup green pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups cabbage shredded
- 2 cups chopped ham cooked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper or you can use black pepper
Instructions
- Add butter to large soup pot. Add green pepper, onion, celery and carrots and saute until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add flour into pot, stirring to coat the vegetables.
- Add chicken broth and cook on medium high until boiling.
- Add cabbage, ham, salt and pepper. Stir until boiling and then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls.
AmyT says
DELICIOUS!! I added garlic of course because I love garlic in everything, but otherwise this recipe was spot on superbly delicious as is. A perfect way to use up all the leftover ham and veggies in my fridge. I even tossed in a little leftover riced cauliflower I had.
Pamela says
Thanks for commenting Amy, I’m so happy to hear you liked this soup! I love the addition of riced cauliflower – yum! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Debbie says
This was excellent! I used xanthan gum instead of flour to thicken it to keep the carbs down on it. Also used small amount of cajun seasoning instead of salt.
Patty Singh says
I loved it but it was too salty for me, I would cut the salt in half next time.
Viva Penny says
This recipe is a keeper! So good! I only put one cup of ham to reduce the salt content and added a can of northern white beans to add more protein. My family loved it!
Choo says
Great recipe! I was looking for something different to do with the holiday ham bone besides ham and beam soup. This worked perfect!
Char Fromm says
Wow great soup. My daughter who is not a cabbage lover ate it and loved it. It is a good comfort food recipe. Thanks for sharing.
June says
So delicious and chock full of veggies. Added some frozen corn. Will be making this again. Thank you!
Pamela says
Hey June, thanks for commenting! I love the addition of corn!
June says
Pamela – I wanted to let you know that a year later, I’m still making this soup regularly (most recently was tonight). Thanks for sharing this delicious creation.
Barbara says
Just made this. Love the hint to add some flour to veggies before adding broth. Thickened it up just enough. I have a bad habit of over seasoning my foods so I hold off, but once I had a bowl of this I thought a small, small drop of mustard would work, and it did. Used Dijon but a hearty grain one would also work. This is a very satisfying soup. Thank you
Pamela says
Hey Barbara, I’m so happy to hear you liked this soup. Thank you for commenting!
Sheila says
Yummy i just made this soup glad to have the receipt. Going to make this often
Pamela says
Hey Sheila, thanks for commenting! I’m so happy you liked this soup! 🙂
Ira razon says
Wonderful and delicious! Thank you!! 🙂
Pamela says
Glad you liked it – thanks for commenting Ira!