Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

ham and cabbage soup

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Mary Hunter
Edwardsville, PA

This recipe is comfort food. The flavor from the combination of all the ingredients is so good that you can't have just one bowl. I guarantee that because I've never been able to just have one.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This soup marries the flavors of ham and cabbage so nicely. The broth is made with a ham bone which adds richness and a perfect saltiness. After simmering, the ham falls off the bone and mingles with cabbage, potatoes, and other vegetables to create a comforting and savory soup. It will stick to your ribs. Serve with a rustic bread (like rye) for dipping. Yum!

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 12 to 14
prep time 1 Hr 20 Min
cook time 1 Hr 10 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For ham and cabbage soup

  • 2
    ham hocks (about 3 pounds each)
  • 10 lg
    potatoes, diced
  • 10-12
    carrots, sliced
  • 3
    celery stalks, diced or chop up the leaves from one bunch celery
  • 2 lg
    bay leaves
  • 1
    extra large cabbage, diced into chunks
  • 2 lg
    onions, sliced
  • 6 c
    chicken stock
  • pepper, to taste
  • salt, to taste (depending on the saltiness of the ham)

How To Make ham and cabbage soup

Test Kitchen Tips
For testing, we cut the recipe in half. The original amounts are enough to feed a large family.
  • Ham hocks covered with boiling water.
    1
    In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cover the ham hocks with water and cook over medium heat until falling apart. (This should take about one hour.)
  • Ham hock removed from broth.
    2
    Remove the ham from the broth. Discard the bones and fatty pieces. Cut the ham into large chunks.
  • Skimming off fat.
    3
    Skim off as much of the grease as possible from the broth. Or, if you like, place the broth in the refrigerator for about an hour. The grease will float to the top for easier removal, then you can return it to the stove. (This will take more time than I have allotted for preparation.)
  • Potatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaves added to the broth.
    4
    Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaves and cook over on medium about 20 minutes.
  • Cabbage, onions, and chicken stock added to pot.
    5
    Add the cabbage, onions, and chicken stock. Cook an additional 40 minutes over the same heat, or until all is tender.
  • Adding ham back into the pot.
    6
    Add the ham and cook an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve with pumpernickel or a dark rye bread. Enjoy.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT