German Cabbage Soup (Kohlsuppe)

5 from 3 votes

German Cabbage Soup (Kohlsuppe)

A comforting German vegetable soup with tender cabbage, potatoes, and carrots in a sweet and sour broth, finished with smoky sausage.

Course Main Course

Cuisine German

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 315kcal

Author by Marita Sinden

Ingredients

2 onions approx 200 gr / 7 oz
1 clove garlic
3 carrots aprox 250 gr/ 8 oz
3 potatoes aprox 350 gr / 12 oz
2 lb cabbage green or white
2 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups vegetable broth 6.3 cups or 50 fl oz

Seasonings

1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 oz parsley 1 oz
5 juniper berries crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 pinch sugar

Sausages

4 sausages of your choice use a smoked sausage such as Mettenden, Kabanossi, Kielbasa or Frankfurter sausages.

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Peel the onions and garlic and chop them finely. Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the parsley. Wash the cabbage, remove the outer leaves, then quarter it through the stem. Remove the dense core with a sharp knife and discard. Roughly slice the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
2 onions, 1 clove garlic, 3 carrots, 3 potatoes, 2 lb cabbage, 1 oz parsley
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
2 tablespoon olive oil
Add the cabbage along with 1 teaspoon of salt and briefly fry it with the onions. The salt will help draw out moisture from the cabbage. Pour in the vegetable broth along with the crushed juniper berries, bay leaves, and caraway seeds. Cover the pot and let the cabbage cook for 40 minutes over medium-low heat.
6 cups vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 5 juniper berries, 2 bay leaves
Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and parsley. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Before serving, add the sugar and vinegar to taste. The exact amount depends on your preference—adjust until you reach the desired balance of sweet and sour flavors. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 pinch sugar
Add the smoked sausages to the soup. The soup no longer needs to cook—just let the sausages warm up in the hot broth for a few minutes before serving.
4 sausages of your choice
Serve hot with crusty bread or rye bread for a hearty meal.

Notes

Storage Instructions

Store the soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheating the soup will make it even better, as the flavors have more time to infuse (in my opinion). So it is a great suit to prepare the day before.

The Kohlsuppe is also suitable for freezing. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition