Sausage, Potato and Cabbage Soup (Printable version)

Hearty soup with savory sausage, creamy potatoes, and tender cabbage in a flavorful broth—perfect for chilly days.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into rounds

→ Vegetables

02 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped
04 - 1 large onion, chopped
05 - 2 carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids & Broth

08 - 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf

→ Optional Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Sour cream or crusty bread for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add potatoes, cabbage, and browned sausage back to the pot. Pour in broth and add bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve hot with sour cream or crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is as easy as the cooking.
  • The smokiness from the sausage seeps into every spoonful, making plain vegetables taste like they've been simmering for hours.
  • It reheats beautifully and somehow tastes richer the next day, which means lunch is already handled.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage, that caramelization is where half the flavor lives.
  • If your cabbage is especially thick or tough, add it five minutes before the potatoes so everything finishes at the same time.
  • Taste the soup before serving because different broths and sausages have varying salt levels, and you might need more or less than the recipe suggests.
03 -
  • Use a mix of white and sweet potatoes for a more complex flavor and a hint of natural sweetness.
  • If your broth tastes flat, a squeeze of lemon juice at the end will wake everything up without making it taste citrusy.
  • Let the soup rest for ten minutes after cooking, the flavors settle and the broth thickens slightly as it cools just a bit.
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