Turkish Cabbage Soup is packed with flavors and makes a perfect meal for everyone including weight-watchers. You can have a big bowl of it even if you are on a diet. It is also an incredibly easy and simple recipe that can be whipped up in about 30 minutes.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Like This Recipe
- About The Ingredients
- How to Cut Cabbage for Soup
- How to Make Turkish Cabbage Soup
- Customize Your Soup
- Serving Suggestions
- How Do You Increase Flavor?
- Storing & Reheating
- Does This Cabbage Soup Burn Belly Fat?
- More Recipes with Cabbage
- More Soup Recipes
- You Might Also Like:
- 📖 Recipe
We often make this simple Turkish cabbage soup during fall and winter months. It's the perfect trick for using up any leftover cabbage you've got hanging around.
Plus, it's light and low-cal, which is always a bonus.
That being said, we have never made this cabbage soup for weight loss. We eat it because we really LOVE the taste of it!
Why You Will Like This Recipe
This vegetarian Turkish cabbage soup will become one of your favorite soup recipes because it is:
- Packed with our favorite Mediterranean flavors like tomatoes, garlic, parsley and lemon.
- Low in calories.
- Easy and quick to make. Ready in about 30 minutes.
- Great way to use up leftover veggies.
- Easy to customize.
- Perfect for the digestive system.
- Freezer friendly.
About The Ingredients
With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can easily create a cabbage soup that's bursting with flavor.
- Cabbage: We use white cabbage in the recipe, but green cabbage or red cabbage works fine too. You can also use savoy cabbage, which looks very similar to common cabbages, only they have a ton of veins and have a coarser texture.
- Unchangeable ingredients: Tomato paste, tomatoes, garlic, lemon and parsley. These are the ingredients we don't recommend you to change or leave out because they save this simple cabbage soup from being boring.
- Carrots: We use them because we want to use the leftover carrots in the fridge. Also, they pair well with the cabbage flavor.
- Liquid: We use plain water because the ingredients are already flavorsome when combined together. But you can use a flavorful broth like a homemade vegetable broth to make it even tastier.
How to Cut Cabbage for Soup
Cutting cabbage for soup is pretty simple. Here's a simple way to do it:
- Remove any wilted or dirty outer leaves from the cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage in half through the stem to make it easier to work with.
- On each half, cut out the tough core at the bottom with a V-shaped cut.
- Slice each half into large strips for your soup. For smaller pieces, cut the strips again crosswise.
Now, your cabbage is prepped and ready to go into the soup!
How to Make Turkish Cabbage Soup
This is an incredibly easy and quick cabbage soup recipe. With only a few vegetables, some herbs, and spices, you have a healthy and low calorie meal in less than an hour.
Start by heating some olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Toss in chopped onion and garlic and cook them until they're nice and translucent.
Next, add some carrots into the mix and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Then, stir in tomato paste and crushed tomatoes, cooking until everything gets soft and melds together.
Now, it's time for the green onions, parsley, cabbage, a dash of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice—give it all a good mix.
Cover the pot and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, making sure to give it a stir every now and then.
After that, pour in hot water, bring everything to a boil, and then lower the heat and let it simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
Once it's done, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some fresh parsley before serving.
Pro Tip: If the cabbage head you use is too big and you end up with leftover chopped cabbage, you can use it to make Quick Pickled Cabbage, Yogurt Coleslaw or even Baked Cheesy Cabbage.
Customize Your Soup
We've got a couple of favorite twists on this Turkish cabbage soup.
- Adding Beef: We love throwing in chunks of beef or some ground beef for a satisfying meal that really hits the spot. Check out our Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup and Turkish Cabbage Stew.
- Adding Chicken: For a lighter but equally comforting option, we sometimes use chicken. We cook diced chicken after the onion is cooked and then follow the rest of the recipe as it is.
- Adding Beans:And for those days when we're looking for a comforting, meat-free option, beans are the answer. Add cooked beans to the original cabbage soup. They add a wonderful texture and are a fantastic source of protein.
- Adding More Veggies: If you want to make a loaded vegetarian cabbage soup, add more vegetables like potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, peas and turnips.
Serving Suggestions
Matching our simple cabbage soup with the perfect side can make a regular meal feel extra special. Here are some of our top choices:
A slice of fresh, warm bread is perfect for soaking up the soup. Try our bread recipes below:
Upgrade your soup game with a classic grilled cheese sandwich. The crispy, golden-brown exterior and the melty cheese inside make every bite of soup even more enjoyable. You can try our recipes below:
For a refreshing twist, try adding a dollop of homemade yoghurt or serving your soup with a side of cacik.
How Do You Increase Flavor?
Turkish cabbage soup recipe already packs a flavorful punch with tomato paste, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice. But if you're looking to take the taste even further, here's how you can do it:
Boost with Broth: Use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of water for a richer base.
Sauté First: Give your veggies a quick sauté before adding the liquid. It deepens the flavors.
Herbs and Spices: Add more herbs like dill or spices such as paprika or red pepper flakes for an extra flavor kick.
Splash of Acid: A bit of lemon juice or vinegar can make the flavors pop even more.
So you can make a cabbage soup that never tastes bland with the help of a few simple ingredients.
Storing & Reheating
After the soup completely cools down, you can keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It makes a good quick lunch the next day.
Also, this cabbage soup is a freezer friendly dish. Make it in a large soup pot and save half of the soup to freeze. You can keep it for 2 months in the freezer and prepare it quickly on a cold winter day.
To freeze the soup, allow it to cool completely. Then place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or make individual portions in sealed containers. Freeze in a safe area away from any odors and at a stable freezer temperature, around 0°F.
Thaw it out and reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Does This Cabbage Soup Burn Belly Fat?
Wondering if this cabbage soup can help you lose belly fat? Here's the thing: we're not experts, but we think that no single food, including cabbage soup, can make you lose fat in just one spot, like your belly.
Healthline mentions the cabbage soup diet is all about quick weight loss, eating lots of this soup for a week. It's low in calories, which can lead to rapid weight loss, but it's not a sustainable or nutritionally balanced plan. The weight lost is often temporary, and there might be side effects due to its restrictive nature. It's always best to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new diet.
More Recipes with Cabbage
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Cabbage Stew
- Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
- Turkish Cabbage Rolls
- Unstuffed Cabbage Soup
- Quick Pickled Cabbage
More Soup Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Turkish Cabbage Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup carrots
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons green onions
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 4 cups cabbage sliced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cups hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent.
- Add in carrots, cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add in tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in green onions, parsley, cabbage, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Give it a good stir.
- Cook covered for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Pour hot water into the pot. Bring it to boil and then let it simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- Serve with fresh parsley.
NOTES
- Don't skip the following ingredients: Tomato paste, tomatoes, garlic, lemon and parsley. These take a simple vegetarian cabbage soup recipe to a whole new level. It never tastes bland like a regular detox soup.
- Use veg broth if you want even more flavor. But we really don't think it is needed in this recipe.
- If you are a fan of tangy flavor in soups, you can add an extra splash of lemon juice over the bowl when eating.
- To make a more filling soup, you can add in some legumes like cooked chickpeas or white beans.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Monica says
Tried it with purple cabbage as it was what I had on hand. Turned out so tasty and comforting. Thank you for this easy recipe!
Yusuf says
Hi Monica,
Glad you liked the recipe! Cabbage is a great soup ingredient!