It snowed over five inches in Boise yesterday! It was the first time this winter that I’ve had to drive to work in the snow. And it was a horrible drive, almost got in a crash on the freeway, cars sliding all over the place. And it’s so cold outside! Idaho weather is crazy. We go from highs in the 60s with my daffodils and tulips coming up to highs barely reaching 30 degrees and snow. So with the weather turning cold again, I’m going back to my winter hibernating and made this Beef and Cabbage Soup.
One of my CrossFit coaches gave me the idea for this cabbage soup. Coach Emily said she liked the recipe but it needed something more. The original recipe is Chunky Beef, Cabbage, and Tomato Soup by Skinny Taste. I like the Skinny Taste Recipe as a base but decided I definitely wanted to do some tweaking. The original recipe is only seasoned with salt and bay leaves and the rest of the ingredients include: lean ground beef, onion, carrots, celery, canned tomatoes, cabbage, and beef broth.
I did keep most of the original recipe as my base but added in more seasonings, such as garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. I also added in tomato paste to give the soup more depth of flavor. And I used a higher fat ground beef to add some richness. I went with grass-fed ground beef 80/20. Finally, I sautéed the cabbage in butter before adding it to the soup. Needless to say, this is probably no longer considered a low calorie soup. You can also top it with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Delicious beef and cabbage soup to warm you up on those cold winter nights. Made with ground beef, sautéed cabbage, onions, celery, carrots, fresh tomatoes, and garlic.
- 1 pound Ground Beef 80/20
- 1/2 cup Diced Onion
- 1 stalk Diced Celery
- 2 medium Carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 cups Tomatoes, fresh, diced
- 5 cups Cabbage, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 6 oz Tomato Paste, 1 small can
- 5 cups Beef Stock
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, optional
- 1 tbsp Butter
- Sour Cream, optional for topping
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional for topping
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Brown hamburger in a large Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat.
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Add in onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Then add in fresh tomatoes and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so.
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Next add in tomato paste and stir to incorporate.
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Mix in seasonings - salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
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Then pour in beef stock and stir well. Add in bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
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While you're bringing the soup to a simmer, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter has melted, add cabbage to the skillet and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Then add cabbage to soup mixture and continue to heat soup over low heat.
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Cook soup over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves prior to serving.
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Optional: Top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Thank you! Cooking and such recipes as this soup sustain the essence of our lives. I was inspired to look for this after having it at a buffet.
Glad to hear it! Hope this recipe is close to what you had at the buffet!
Going to make this today can’t wait looks so good!
Enjoy!
Made this last night. Best soup I’ve ever had. Thank you for recipe Emily!!!!!
Hi Mike, So glad you liked it! Thank you!