Kohlsuppe — German cabbage soup — has a public relations problem: it sounds austere, and it is anything but. Done properly, it is a deeply savory bowl of tender cabbage and vegetables in a broth with real backbone, the kind of soup Germany has perfected over centuries of cold winters.
I fell for it on a chilly day in Munich, when a steaming bowl of what looked like humble boiled cabbage turned out to be one of the most comforting things I ate on that trip. I have been making my own version ever since.
The quiet trick in this recipe is a splash of soy sauce — not traditional, but it gives the vegetable broth a savory depth that tastes like it simmered far longer than it did. Cheap, healthy, and endlessly adaptable.
German Cabbage Soup Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 40 minutes · Total: 1 hour · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~298 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 pound white cabbage, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup (5 oz) chopped celery
- 1 cup (5 oz) chopped carrots
- 1 cup (5 oz) chopped leeks
- 2 cups water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon liquid sweetener (or a pinch of sugar)
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent.
- Add the cabbage, bell pepper, celery, carrots and leeks, and sauté a few minutes more.
- Pour in the water with the bouillon cube and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Stir in the soy sauce, pepper, salt, sweetener and diced tomatoes, and cook a few minutes more until heated through.
Recipe Notes
- Diced potatoes make it heartier; mushrooms add earthiness; spinach or kale boost the nutrition.
- Chicken or beef broth, or some cooked sausage or bacon, take it in a meatier direction.
- A can of white beans turns it into a complete meal.
- Paprika, cumin or thyme are all welcome — this soup is a canvas.
