Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
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This wonderful Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup is packed with healthy veggies, savory kielbasa sausage, and is loaded with flavor! It’s one of our family favorites and we’re confident it’s going to become a regular favorite in your home too! This is a terrific make-ahead soup because the flavor only gets better the next day.
Juicy kielbasa and tender vegetables are enveloped in a creamy broth that’s flavored with herbs and spices. It’s the ultimate comfort soup and is so perfect for those cool evenings when you just want to curl up and enjoy a hot bowl of deliciousness.
Cabbage and sausages go hand in hand and have done for centuries in several European countries. To add to that harmonious coupling is caraway seed, a uniquely earthy-flavored spice that pairs beautifully with cabbage and sausage. I’m adding just a touch so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors, but adds a wonderful undercurrent of flavor throughout the soup.
*Updated Recipe*
I first published this recipe in in 2014 and the base of this soup called for making another recipe, my homemade Cream of Celery Soup. While the original recipe received rave reviews from my readers, I found it too impractical and unnecessary to have to make a separate soup in order to make this one. So I decided to update the recipe and streamline the process. For those of you who have made and loved the original version don’t worry, not an ounce of flavor has been lost (in fact, the flavor is improved with the addition of caraway). Our Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup is as delicious as ever!
For those of you who would still like to make it the original way:
Here is the original recipe (**for the NEW UPDATED VERSION proceed below)
- batch homemade Cream of Celery Soup, can be made ahead of time
- 14 ounces kielbasa ,sliced in 1/8 inch rounds
- 1 medium head green cabbage ,about 3 pounds, chopped
- 1 large carrot ,diced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 cup chicken broth mixed with 2 tablespoons flour ,make sure it’s dissolved
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Add the cabbage, carrot and kielbasa to the homemade Cream of Celery Soup along with the milk, cream, chicken broth, and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Note: Once the soup is adequately thickened you can cover the soup for the remaining cooking time.) Serve hot. This soup tastes even better the next day.
Can you Freeze Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup?
Soups that contain milk or cream usually become grainy once frozen and thawed. If you want to freeze this soup I recommend leaving out the heavy cream and and then adding it after the soup is thawed and you’re heating it up.
Can You Make This In the Instant Pot?
Yes! Use the Sauté setting to follow the steps of cooking your veggies. After all the ingredients have been added, set your IP to HIGH and cook for 8 minutes followed by a quick release. Stir in the heavy cream and set your IP to Sauté to allow the soup to heat through.
Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
Let’s get started!
Melt the butter in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the cabbage and cook for until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the kielbasa, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed caraway seeds.
Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the cream and heat through (don’t boil). Add salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf.
Serve hot, garnished with some chopped parsley if desired.
This soup tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had more time to meld.
Enjoy!
For more delicious soups be sure to try our:
- Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- White Bean Chili with Roasted Corn and Peppers
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Mushroom, Ham and Wild Rice Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Cream of Celery Soup
- Smoky Black Eyed Pea Soup
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Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
- 2 large carrots , diced
- 2 large ribs celery , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 large head green cabbage , roughly chopped
- 14 ounces quality smoked kielbasa sausage , sliced in 1/8 thick rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups quality chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon base (e.g., Better Than Bouillon, or two bouillon cubes)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cabbage and cook for until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the kielbasa, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed caraway seeds. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, chicken bouillon base, and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.Stir in the cream and heat through (don't boil). Add salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf.Serve hot, garnished with some chopped parsley if desired. This soup tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on September 26, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
The keilbasa gives this cream soup a perfect flavor and the caraway wasn’t too strong.
I used red cabbage as it was given to me. Just made the cream a bit purple.
Can’t wait till tomorrow when it’ll taste better
Wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ellois, thank you! <3
Can you substitute savoy cabbage for green cabbage in this recipe?
P.S. I made your Elisenlebkuchen yesterday and as usual, they turned out beautifully. Best recipe ever!
Thank you so much, Ingrid! <3 Absolutely on the savoy cabbage. I've also used kale before.
simply the best!
I used a recipe calculator and your nutritional data is way off. How did you come to your figures?
Hi Rhonda, the recipe card uses third party automated software that does the conversions. I just ran it through again and you’re right, somehow it was calculating it for 8 servings instead of 6. Thank you for pointing that out.
Ummm! Wow, this is so good! This is a keeper! ❤️ – said my husband ☺️ Thanks for another wonderful recipe Kimberly…
Yay, I’m thrilled that you both enjoyed it, Maureen, thank you so much! <3
What can I substitute the flour with to make this gluten free? I am part of a soup competition every year and we have some gluten intolerant attendees.
Hi Jill, the most common alternatives are either cornstarch or arrowroot. Dissolve either of these in a little water and stir it into the soup at the very end, letting the soup simmer a couple of minutes until thickened.
Kimberly, I absolutely love this soup. Found while searching for “cabbage” recipes. The Kielbasa and cabbage with other veggies is delicious. Started keto and intermittent fasting at end of January and this soup has become a favorite of mine. Just saw your Celery Soup recipe, I love celery so that will be my next soup to make.
Thank you so much, Mary, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it! My husband and I have been doing intermittent fasting on and off for the past three years or so and have just started it again as well. Wishing you the best of success with your health goals!
Loved this soup! Served with fresh rye bread for a lunch made in heaven.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Jennifer, I’m happy you enjoyed it! :)
This soup was outstanding. Thank you for sharing. I always follow
You and Harmon Killebrew is a name that is spoken frequently in this home of baseball lovers from the Midwest.
Thank you so much, Susan! :) If you have any stories about grandpa Harmon my husband and I would love to hear them! (daringgourmet@yahoo.com)
I’m making the soup right now. When do I add the 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon base? Probably with the chicken broth?
Hi Susan, thanks for catching that and that’s correct, add it with the broth. Happy cooking and please let us know what you think!
The soup turned out fantastic. The caraway seeds were a great addition that made this one of our new favorite soups.
Yay, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Susan, thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m chilled and worn from the day. Bundled in my blankets, coat, and more blankets, my husband graciously served me this Keilbasa soup I made. Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for such a wonderful, warming soup. Definitely a comfort food for sure. <3
Perfect indeed for a chilly Alaskan day! I’m so glad this hit the spot, than you for the feedback! :)
Fantastic Soup. I always have Kielbasa and Better than Bouillon on hand becauwe of being MSG intollerant. Went and got a bag of Cole slaw mix for the cabbage – it worked fine. Love the soup and froze a couple of bags (with out the cream – as suggested by another reviewer). It goes fantastic with crusty SF French Bread. Yum!! Thanks again for posting.
Thanks so much, Kathi, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it and good call with the coleslaw mix you already had on hand!
I did not care for it. But my husband liked it.
Thanks for the feedback, Tina, I’m glad one of you enjoyed it! :)