Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

german cabbage soup for the soul

Recipe by
Paula Todora
Blue Eye, AR

When we lived in Maple Valley, WA we visited a wonderful and authentic German Restaurant often. The Cabbage soup was our favorite. I asked the cook several times what her secret was (a German lady, of course). She would never devulge her secret, of course. I would go home and attempt to get the flavors just right, with no success. Then one day, she told me the secret was in the pork broth. That’s when I changed my recipe up, and here it is-tastes similar to hers without actually having her family recipe. We love it!

yield 10 -12
prep time 25 Min
cook time 35 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For german cabbage soup for the soul

  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp
    butter
  • 1 pkg
    beef sausage links, sliced into 1-in slices
  • 1 md
    pork chop or pork loin slice
  • 2 tsp
    mined garlic
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/4 tsp
    black pepper
  • 1 md
    smoked ham or turkey leg, shank, etc.
  • 32 oz
    chicken or bone broth or vegetable broth
  • 4 lg
    carrots, sliced
  • 10 sm
    yellow or red skin potatoes, skins on and cut in halves or quarters
  • 1 sm
    head cabbage, chopped roughly
  • 4
    bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp
    celery seed
  • 1/4 c
    heavy cream

How To Make german cabbage soup for the soul

  • 1
    In a large covered pot, add olive oil and butter on medium high heat. When butter is melted, add sliced sausage and pork chop. Cook and stir until sausage is lightly browned and pork is cooked through.
  • 2
    Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT heavy cream and stir. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and cover.
  • 3
    Cook on medium to medium low, covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed and right before serving, add cream and stir.
  • 4
    Remove from heat and ladle into bowls and serve with hard rolls. The best part is dipping the rolls into the broth.
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