Perfect Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup Recipe for Cozy Evenings

Beef and cabbage soup represents the ultimate comfort food for those seeking hearty, nourishing meals with robust flavors.

Cold winter nights call for something warming and substantial that fills your kitchen with incredible aromas.

Rustic ingredients upgrade simple components into a remarkable culinary experience that feels like a gentle embrace.

Traditional recipes often highlight regional cooking techniques that elevate basic elements into something extraordinary.

Nutritious and satisfying, this soup delivers complex layers of taste through carefully balanced ingredients and slow-simmered techniques.

The combination creates a soul-warming dish that connects you with timeless home cooking traditions.

Each spoonful promises a delightful journey through rich, wholesome flavors that comfort and energize.

Why You’ll Love Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup

• Slow-Cook Tender Beef: The long simmering process breaks down tough meat fibers, creating melt-in-your-mouth beef chunks that are incredibly soft and packed with rich, deep flavor.
• Veggie-Packed Nutrition Powerhouse: Loaded with colorful vegetables like leeks, celery, carrots, and cabbage, this soup delivers a robust nutritional profile while keeping calorie count reasonable at just 320 kcal per serving.
• One-Pot Comfort Cooking: Minimal dishes and straightforward preparation make this recipe perfect for busy weeknights, offering maximum flavor with minimal effort and cleanup.
• Adaptable Winter Warmer: Hearty enough to satisfy hunger, this soup works brilliantly as a complete meal that warms you from the inside out, making it ideal for cold days and cozy family dinners.

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup: Essential Ingredients

• Beef Roast: Rich, hearty meat perfect for slow-cooking with deep flavor and tender texture after braising.

• Leeks, Celery, Carrots: Classic soup base vegetables that provide sweet, earthy undertones and nutritional depth.
• Cabbage: Adds crisp texture and subtle sweetness, traditional in hearty European-style soups.
• Garlic: Aromatic ingredient that enhances overall flavor profile with its pungent character.

• Olive Oil: Healthy cooking fat that helps sauté vegetables and brown meat with rich flavor.
• Beef Broth: Foundational liquid that creates deep, meaty soup base with robust taste.
• Tomato Paste, Tomato Sauce: Adds tangy richness and depth to soups overall flavor profile.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Provides umami and complex savory notes to enhance meats flavor.
• Bay Leaves: Traditional herb that infuses subtle herbal undertones during slow cooking.
• Thyme: Earthy herb that complements beef and vegetable flavors with its delicate essence.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings for balancing and enhancing all other ingredients.

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup: Simple Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Beef

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cut the roast into bite-sized chunks and season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef pieces on all sides, working in batches if the pot gets crowded. Remove the browned beef from the pot. Pour in tomato paste and broth, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot, cover, and let it simmer gently for 1.5-2.5 hours until the meat becomes incredibly tender. Shred the beef and set aside, keeping the flavorful broth.

Step 2: Build the Soup Base

• Leeks
• Celery
• Carrots
• Thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Sauté the vegetables for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Toss in minced garlic during the last 30 seconds of cooking to prevent burning.

Step 3: Combine and Finish the Soup

• Tomato sauce
• Reserved broth
• Chopped cabbage
• Worcestershire sauce
• Bay leaves
• Additional seasonings

Simmer the soup until the cabbage wilts and becomes tender. Fold in the shredded beef and taste, adjusting seasonings as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving. Enjoy this warm, comforting soup that’s packed with flavor and hearty ingredients.

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup Cooking Tips

• Beef Browning Technique: Ensure meat is patted dry before searing to achieve a perfect golden-brown crust that locks in rich, deep flavors.
• Deglazing Magic: Scrape every browned bit from the pot's bottom when adding broth – these caramelized pieces create an incredible depth of flavor for the soup.
• Vegetable Sauté Secrets: Chop vegetables uniformly for even cooking and release maximum sweetness by sautéing them until they're slightly soft but still retain a gentle crunch.
• Cabbage Cooking Wisdom: Add cabbage towards the end of cooking to prevent overcooking, maintaining its tender yet slightly crisp texture and vibrant color.
• Flavor Layering Pro: Let the soup simmer slowly to allow ingredients to meld together, creating a harmonious and robust taste that develops more complexity over time.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers of Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup

• Refrigeration: Transfer cooled soup to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Seal tightly to prevent flavor loss and avoid absorbing other food odors.
• Freezing: Pour soup into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Freeze for maximum 3 months. Pro tip: Label containers with date and contents for easy tracking.
• Reheating: Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. Warm gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add a splash of broth or water if the soup seems too thick. Stir until heated evenly and reach a steaming temperature of 165°F. Enjoy your delicious soup just like freshly made!

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup Pairing Ideas

• Pair with Robust Red Wine: Choose a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec to complement the rich, hearty flavors of the beef and add depth to each spoonful.
• Serve with Crusty Sourdough Bread: Grab a warm, rustic sourdough loaf to soak up the savory broth and provide a delightful textural contrast to the tender beef and soft vegetables.
• Match with Tangy Pickle Platter: Arrange a selection of dill pickles, pickled onions, and cornichons on the side to cut through the soup's richness and add a zesty, refreshing element to the meal.
• Finish with Crisp Apple Cider: Pour a cold, slightly sweet hard apple cider that balances the soup's robust flavors and provides a light, refreshing counterpoint to the hearty dish.

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup: Flavor Variations

• Spicy Southwest Beef Soup: Replace thyme with cumin and chili powder. Add diced green chilies and jalapeños for heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
• Mediterranean Lamb Variation: Swap beef for ground lamb. Include oregano and rosemary instead of thyme. Mix in diced eggplant and top with crumbled feta cheese.
• Hearty Vegetarian Option: Substitute beef with protein-rich lentils or mushrooms. Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Add extra vegetables like zucchini and bell peppers for depth.
• Slow Cooker Friendly: Prepare ingredients as original recipe, but transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until beef is tender and vegetables are soft.

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup Recipe

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4.8 from 35 reviews

• Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup brings German comfort to your kitchen with rich, savory flavors. Tender beef chunks and silky cabbage simmer in a robust broth, offering warmth and satisfaction you’ll crave on chilly evenings.

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Ingredients

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Meat and Protein:

• 2.5 pounds (1.13 kilograms) roast beef, preferably with marbleized fat, cut into 2–3 inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Vegetables and Aromatics:

• 1 medium cabbage (about 10 cups), chopped
• 2 leeks (light green and white parts only, about 2 cups), chopped
• 2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), chopped
• 4 carrots (about 3 cups), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 bay leaves

Liquids and Seasonings:

• 5–6 cups mixture of water and lower-sodium beef broth (half water, half packaged broth)
• 7–8 cups lower-sodium beef broth, including the reserved broth
• 15 ounces (425 grams) tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Select a high-quality beef roast, approximately 2 to , and trim excess fat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels to ensure proper browning.
2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cut the roast into 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) chunks, seasoning generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Carefully place beef chunks into the hot oil, allowing each piece to develop a rich, golden-brown crust. Brown meat in multiple batches to prevent overcrowding and ensure even caramelization.
4. Remove browned beef and set aside. Deglaze the pot by adding tomato paste and beef broth, scraping up flavorful browned bits from the bottom.
5. Return beef to the pot, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 to 2.5 hours until meat becomes exceptionally tender and easily pulls apart.
6. Remove beef, shred using two forks, and reserve the cooking liquid separately.
7. In the same stockpot, heat an additional olive oil. Sauté finely chopped leeks, diced celery, sliced carrots, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper for 4-5 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic during the final 30 seconds of vegetable cooking to prevent burning and release aromatic flavors.
9. Pour in tomato sauce, reserved cooking liquid, chopped cabbage, Worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves, and additional seasoning.
10. Simmer the soup until cabbage becomes tender and slightly translucent, approximately 15-20 minutes.
11. Reintroduce shredded beef to the pot, stirring gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, removing bay leaves before serving.
12. Ladle the hearty soup into warm bowls, ensuring a balanced mixture of beef, vegetables, and flavorful broth.

Notes

• Batch Browning Technique ensures deep, rich flavor development by searing meat in smaller portions to prevent steaming.
• Deglazing magic transforms stuck-on browned bits into an intense flavor base that elevates the entire soup’s complexity.
• Gradual vegetable sautéing releases natural sugars, creating a robust aromatic foundation that enhances the soup’s depth.
• Slow simmering breaks down tough beef fibers, transforming a potentially chewy cut into meltingly tender meat.
• Strategic layering of ingredients builds complexity, allowing each component to contribute its unique taste profile.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: European

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 320 kcal
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 540mg
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 25g
• Cholesterol: 65mg