This is the ultimate Creamy Cabbage Soup Recipe. It’s also my go-to creamy soup recipe overall. But the big secret? It doesn’t have heavy cream. Or cream at all! Not only is it gluten-free and keto, but it’s easily made vegan with a few small tweaks.
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Let’s be honest, cabbage recipes don’t always have the best reputation. Growing up, I remember one particular cabbage soup diet recipe being all the rage. But this is not your 90s soup recipe.
The key to this creamy cabbage soup is the use of a few small potatoes and an immersion blender. So technically, yes, it is a cabbage and potato soup recipe. But the ratio of potato to cabbage is low so it’s the best of both worlds. You get the slight starchiness of the potatoes and the blending together the cabbage, onions, garlic, potatoes, and Parmesan cheese rinds create a creamy and flavorful soup.
I first made a version of this soup recipe during the first cold months of COVID lockdown. All I wanted during that time was warm comfort food. After a few tweaks from the original recipe, this soup delivers.
Instead of peeling the potatoes, I left the skin on for added nutrients.
Can you eat Parmesan Rinds?
I also increased the number of parmesan rinds and actually blended them into the soup! Why get rid of all that deliciousness? And yes, before you ask, you can eat Parmesan rinds!
Now I’ll tell you a secret. Go into your local store and see if they sell Parmesan rinds alone. What are they? The rinds slices from the cheese! Our local stores sells them and I keep them in the fridge for this recipe (and for snacking).
The original recipe called for barely but I scratched the barley to make it gluten-free. To be honest, the soup is so satisfying that you don’t miss the barely. But hey, you do you. Want barely, add it. Want to add rice? Add it. More cheese? You get the point.
My last plug for this creamy cabbage soup recipe is that it’s secretly low-calorie. I’m not a fan of promoting “diet” recipes, but if you’re looking for something that might taste naughty (but isn’t), this is your soup!
What makes the soup creamy?
Instead of adding actual cream. The soup takes on a creamy thick texture, by blending the ingredients. You can do something similar with cauliflower to make a creamy cauliflower soup that is equally as yummy.
How to add flavor to bland cabbage soup?
Cabbage is one of those foods that really needs proper seasoning to make it pop and taste delicious.
This is exactly why I decided to work with an already-existing recipe. The original recipe (linked above) was just OK. I made it, tasted it, and was like, meh. That’s why I decided to throw the rinds back in, up the garlic, and pull out my spice rack.
Creamy Cabbage Soup {Gluten-Free and Keto}
Creamy Cabbage Soup Recipe – Pin It for Later!
Ingredients For Cabbage and Potato Soup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium to large onion, rough chopped
- 1 head cabbage,
- 5 (or more!) garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3 to 4 Parmesan rinds
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Dill (or your herb of choice)
- Extra shredded or grated Parmesan for additional cheesy creamy goodness
- Pollo seasoning to taste
Kitchen Tools For Cabbage and Potato Soup
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
- Immersion blender or large kitchen bender
Looking for an immersion blender?
I’ll be honest, not all immersion blenders are created equal. I’ve gone through two in just the past year. If you’re looking for a dependable immersion blender that won’t break the bank, check out the KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender. It’s dependable and sturdy and I love the cordless feature.
Directions For Creamy Cabbage Soup
Rough chop your onion and garlic cloves. Remember, you going to blend everything in this creamy cabbage soup recipe together, so don’t worry about it looking pretty.
Core and shred your cabbage.
Cut your potatoes in fourths so they cook quickly. Again, don’t worry about peeling or anything looking pretty.
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until soft. Reduce heat and add garlic and cabbage. If you’re famous for burning garlic like I am, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth at this point and cook until the cabbage has softened. About 5 minutes.
Add your chicken stock, potatoes, and Parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. After simmering, you want your vegetables to be very soft and easy to blend.
Add dill (or herb of choice). This is where the original recipe says to remove Parmesan rinds, but don’t! As long as they are soft, they’ll blend nicely into the soup.
Take your immersion blender and blend, baby blend! The more you blend the creamier your soup will be. This is also where you can add more chicken broth if you feel your soup is too thick.
Add your pollo seasoning or bullion. This is really where your specific taste comes into play and you get to be creative. I tend to go heavy on the pollo season. But if you’d rather add some onion or garlic powdered (or more Parmesan cheese) go for it.
Serve with a garnish of dill and our delicious Kings Hawaiian bread for dipping.
Print This Recipe
You can print this recipe using the recipe card below. I hope you enjoy making this Creamy Cabbage Soup as much as I do. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think. Drop a note in the comments below.
Creamy Cabbage Soup {Gluten-Free and Keto}
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium to large onion rough chopped
- 1 head cabbage
- 5 or more! garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3 to 4 Parmesan rinds
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Dill or your herb of choice
- Extra shredded or grated Parmesan for additional cheesy creamy goodness
- Pollo seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Rough chop your onion and garlic cloves. Remember, you going to blend everything in this creamy cabbage soup recipe together, so don’t worry about it looking pretty.
- Core and shred your cabbage.
- Cut your potatoes in fourths so they cook quickly. Again, don’t worry about peeling or anything looking pretty.
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until soft. Reduce heat and add garlic and cabbage. If you’re famous for burning garlic like I am, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth at this point and cook until the cabbage has softened. About 5 minutes.
- Add your chicken stock, potatoes, and Parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. After simmering, you want your vegetables to be very soft and easy to blend.
- Add dill (or herb of choice). This is where the original recipe says to remove Parmesan rinds, but don’t! As long as they are soft, they’ll blend nicely into the soup.
- Take your immersion blender and blend, baby blend! The more you blend the creamier your soup will be. This is also where you can add more chicken broth if you feel your soup is too thick.
- Add your pollo seasoning or bullion. This is really where your specific taste comes into play and you get to be creative. I tend to go heavy on the pollo season. But if you’d rather add some onion or garlic powdered (or more Parmesan cheese) go for it.
- Serve with a garnish of dill and bread for dipping.
Nutrition
If you love this recipe, don’t forget to Pin It For Later using the image below. Until next time, stay salty (and sweet 😉
Looking for more recipes?
Try one (or more) from our 20 Crockpot Soup Recipes
This new Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe will keep you feeling healthy and energized. Then try our 25 Ground Beef Keto Recipes!
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