This hearty vegan cabbage soup is filled with leeks, carrots, green cabbage, beans, collard greens, and a vibrant golden broth! It's super satisfying, high-fiber, low-calorie, loaded with vegetables, easy to make in one pot, and it's ready to eat in less than 1 hour! Slow cooker instructions are also included.
I feel like cabbage is one of the most underrated vegetables! It's inexpensive, it's so good for you, and it's delicious to eat in so many recipes, but especially in this soup! It really bulks up the soup which keeps you feeling satisfied without adding a ton of calories. Also, the combination of creamy white beans, tender carrots, leeks, and collard greens swimming in a beautiful golden broth is absolutely delicious!
This vegan cabbage soup is simple to make in one pot, it's loaded with vegetables, and it's ready to eat in less than one hour! It's also naturally gluten-free, oil-free, and can be made in the slow cooker if you prefer.
How To Make Vegan Cabbage Soup
Start by sauteing the leeks and carrots in a large dutch oven for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, all of the dried seasonings, and the bay leaf. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2 minutes (Photo 1).
Next, add the chopped green cabbage, beans, collard greens, broth, and just enough water to cover the vegetables in the pot (Photos 2-4). Bring it to a simmer, cover it, and reduce the heat. Let it cook until the carrots are soft and the cabbage has wilted. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and garnish it with chives right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve bowls of this soup with a couple of slices of crusty whole wheat bread and a salad drizzled with vegan ranch dressing. Any of the following side dishes would be delicious too.
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Baked Potatoes
- Lemon Tahini Courgette Salad
- Scalloped Potatoes Florentine
How Long Will it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, this soup freezes and defrosts perfectly. Put it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months for the best quality.
How to Reheat It
From the Freezer: When you're ready to reheat it, take the container out of the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. Then you can warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop.
From the Fridge: Transfer the soup to a bowl, cover it, and microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Or you can reheat the soup in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed through.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Put all of the ingredients (except the lemon juice) into a large slow cooker and set it to cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Remove the lid and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with fresh or dried chives before serving.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Collard Green Substitutions: You could substitute kale, spinach, or swiss chard.
- Bean Substitutions: You could use brown or green lentils, quinoa, or barley instead of beans. If you want to use dried beans instead of canned, you'll need 1 cup of dried beans that have been soaked overnight and are cooked separately before being added to the soup.
- Leek Substitution: Instead of leeks, you could use whatever onion you have on hand. Red onions or yellow onions are both good options.
- What other vegetables could I add? Potatoes, celery, mushrooms, or artichoke hearts would be delicious additions.
- How can I thicken the soup? When the soup is done cooking, remove the bay leaf, and then use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup by hand. Or you could blend 1 cup in a blender and then stir it back into the pot.
Success Tips
- Make sure to rinse the leeks very well. Dirt likes to hide in all the cracks and crevices. This guide will show you how to clean and cut leeks if you need it.
- This recipe only uses the light green and white part of the leek. Don't discard the dark green parts, you can freeze them to use for homemade vegetable broth.
- Don't omit the turmeric, it's what gives the broth its vibrant yellow color!
- When you're grocery shopping, look for a small head of green cabbage or sometimes a large head will be cut in half and wrapped in plastic. If you can only find a large head, you can use the larger outer leaves to make lentil stuffed red cabbage rolls, and then you can chop up the leftover smaller core leaves to use for this soup!
- Add enough liquid to just barely cover all the vegetables in the soup. The cabbage will look like a mountain when you first add it, but it will shrink down as it cooks.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Want More Vegan Cabbage Recipes?
Roasted Balsamic Garlic Brussel Sprouts
Hearty Vegan Cabbage Soup
Equipment
- 6-quart Dutch Oven or a Large Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable broth
- 4 medium leeks sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 5 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water (just enough to cover the vegetables)
- (2) 14 oz cans great northern beans rinsed and drained
- 6 cups green cabbage chopped
- 1 bunch collard greens thinly sliced (5-6 leaves)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chives (fresh or dried)
Instructions
- In a 6-quart dutch oven, saute the leeks and carrots in 3-4 tbsp vegetable broth over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian seasonings, paprika, chili pepper flakes, turmeric, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
- Add the rinsed and drained beans, chopped cabbage, sliced collard greens, vegetable broth, and just enough water to cover the vegetables to the pot. Bring it to a simmer, cover it, and then reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the cabbage has wilted.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice and add more salt or seasonings to taste. Garnish with chives before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to rinse the leeks very well. Dirt likes to hide in all the cracks and crevices.
- This recipe only uses the light green and white part of the leek. Don't discard the dark green parts, you can freeze them to use for homemade vegetable broth.
- When you're grocery shopping, look for a small head of green cabbage or sometimes a large head will be cut in half and wrapped in plastic. If you can only find a large head, you can use the larger outer leaves to make lentil stuffed red cabbage rolls, and then you can chop up the leftover smaller core leaves to use for this soup!
- Add enough liquid to just barely cover all the vegetables in the soup. The cabbage will look like a mountain when you first add it, but it will shrink down as it cooks.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 4/2/19, but I updated it on 10/17/20.
I loved this recipe - it was a little on the spicy side but it was delicious and I will be keeping it and using it for a long time. I used a lime leaf in mine. I'm not sure what effect it had, but thought I'd share.
Thank you, Jonni! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Normally, when I eat cabbage, after I cut it I rinse it with warm water to avoid the symptom of flatulence. This recept looks really good. Can you provide some tips to enjoy this soup in my case?