Cabbage Lentil Soup

This cabbage lentil soup is a healthy and nutrient-dense meal that’s super cheap to make!

Cabbage is a very economical vegetable. One head of cabbage can make many, many meals.

I usually use about a quarter of a cabbage when I make a recipe such as this cabbage and barley soup or this Asian cabbage salad.

The remaining cabbage can be kept for another recipe such as this cabbage lentil soup, or you can make some homemade sauerkraut!

Since cabbage is a rather bland vegetable, you can season your cabbage soup in a number of ways.

It’s really good with any fresh herb, I especially like it with dill but rosemary, thyme or parsley would also work.

A number of spices also work well. For this vegetarian cabbage soup, I used smoked paprika which gives it a nice smoky flavor and sometimes I add a bit of spice in the form of red chili flakes.

Cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel or caraway seeds also combine well with cabbage.

Adding more vegetables will also add more flavor to your cabbage soup.

Carrots, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, beets, green beans or tomatoes.

For protein you can add beans, chickpeas or lentils. 

This cabbage lentil soup recipe calls for brown lentils, which are easy to cook from dried and are a very cheap protein source.

Lentils are about 25% protein by weight and are an excellent source of dietary fiber. 

You can simply add the cabbage to the soup along with the dried lentils and let it simmer away for 20 - 30 minutes until everything is tender and cooked through.

Ingredients

Cabbage lentil soup is a very cheap soup to make with basic ingredients that can be bought in any supermarket.

Cabbage: I have made cabbage soup with either Savoy cabbage or green cabbage. You could use red cabbage but your soup will be oddly-colored.

Lentils: I have used dried brown lentils to make this soup. You could substitute green lentils. If you use canned lentils, you will need to reduce the amount of liquid in your soup.

Onion & garlic: Onion and garlic form the flavor base of this soup.

Green pepper: This soup has Spanish influences with a sofrito of onion, garlic, green pepper and tomato. Similar to a mirepoix but with different vegetables, this sofrito is the foundational flavor base for Spanish soups and stews. In Spain we usually use cubanelle peppers (Cuban peppers or Italian frying peppers) for this but you can substitute a bell pepper if you can’t find a cubanelle.

Tomato: One medium to large ripe tomato. Ideally, you should first remove the skin for a smoother soup but I sometimes skip this step. 

Carrots: Two medium carrots are a delicious addition to this cabbage lentil soup.

Smoked paprika: A good-quality smoked paprika, preferably Spanish smoked paprika, will add a ton of flavor.

Vegetable stock and water: Use a good-quality vegetable stock that isn’t too salty. This recipe calls for two cups stock and two cups water because I find that 4 cups vegetable stock is sometimes too strongly flavored and it’s also cheaper to use some water.

Soy sauce, salt & pepper: I like to season lentils with soy sauce because it adds nice umami as well as some saltiness. In some Asian cuisines, they use soy sauce and salt together to compliment each other and fully season the dish. I find that it works well to use both.

Olive oil: To fry the veggies.

How to make cabbage lentil soup

This cabbage lentil soup is easy to make and just requires one pot.

Prep: Start by preparing your vegetables:

Dice the onion, garlic, green pepper and tomato as finely as possible because the idea is that they meld into the soup to provide flavor without being prominent.

Peel the carrots. With the carrots you can cut them as large or small as you prefer for soups. I prefer a small dice.

Shred the cabbage. You can use a knife to thinly slice it or a mandoline slicer.

For the lentils, just put them in a strainer and give them a quick rinse under cool water to remove any dust or debris.

Fry: Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.

Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and tomato.

Allow to gently fry, stirring from time to time, until very soft. I give it 10 - 15 minutes.

Add the smoked paprika and stir constantly for 30 seconds to bring out the flavors.

Simmer: Add the cabbage, carrots, stock and water. Bring to a boil then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 20 - 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and tender.

Season: Stir in the soy sauce, salt to taste and pepper.

Variations and substitutions 

Vegetables: You can add in other vegetables in addition to the carrot: potatoes, cauliflower, and handful of leafy greens such as spinach or kale, etc.

Lentils: This recipe calls for brown lentils but green lentils can be swapped. I have seen cabbage and lentil soup recipes that call for red lentils, but I haven’t tried them myself.

Seasoning: I have seasoned this soup simply with just smoked paprika but other warm spices such as cumin, turmeric, fennel, coriander, garam masala or curry powder can be added. Try a few drops of liquid smoke for even more smoky flavor.

FAQs

Make ahead and storage tips

Cabbage lentil soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Store it in an airtight container and reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Cabbage lentil soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

How to serve cabbage lentil soup

Cabbage lentil soup can be served with some crusty bread, cornbread, or garlic bread and your choice of salad on the side.

It pairs well with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich, hummus sandwich, tofu wraps or roasted vegetables.