Sausage, Potato and Cabbage Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup with savory sausage, creamy potatoes, and tender cabbage in a flavorful broth—perfect for chilly days.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into rounds

→ Vegetables

02 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped
04 - 1 large onion, chopped
05 - 2 carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids and Broth

08 - 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf

→ Optional Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Sour cream or crusty bread for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook until lightly browned, approximately 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add diced potatoes, chopped cabbage, and browned sausage back to the pot. Pour in broth and add bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve hot with sour cream or crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under an hour, which means you can go from hungry to satisfied without much planning or stress.
  • One pot means one cleanup, and honestly, that alone has won me over on countless weeknight evenings.
  • The smoked sausage does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so even with basic pantry staples, this tastes like you spent all day cooking.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage—it takes 4 minutes and completely changes how the entire soup tastes by adding depth you can't get any other way.
  • The bay leaf matters more than you'd think, so don't leave it out, but remember to fish it out before serving or someone will find it in their bowl.
03 -
  • Cut everything roughly the same size so it cooks evenly—smaller pieces soften faster and fall apart, while oversized chunks stay firm in the middle.
  • Taste the broth before you add the sausage back in, because store-bought broths vary in salt level and that's your chance to adjust before everything is cooked together.
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