German Potato and Cabbage Soup Recipe – Oma's Kohlsuppe mit Kartoffeln

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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Omit the beef or do as I do: I browned a pound of ground lean beef with the onion and cabbage ... WUNDERBAR!

This German potato and cabbage soup, aka Kohlsuppe mit Kartolffeln, is so delicious on a cool autumn evening or a cold snowy day. It's traditional for Oktoberfest celebrations as well. In fact, it tastes wunderbar anytime of the year!

It's actually a great way to use those veggies that are languishing in your fridge's crisper.

If you are looking for easy soup recipes, try this one. It's such a quick recipe that's easy to throw together. You'll have it ready in well under an hour. All it takes is ten minutes of prep time and then you can relax or get other work done while the soup simmers to perfection.

How to Make This a vegetarian Cabbage Potato Soup:

• Combine 1 pound of shredded or chopped cabbage, ½ pound sliced carrots, ½ pound sliced leeks (make sure they're well washed!), 1 pound cubed or diced potatoes, and 1 small diced onion with 1½ quarts vegetable broth in a large saucepan.
• Bring the contents of the large soup pot to a boil, then lower heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
• Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with fresh parsley (or fresh dill!) to serve.

See? Quick and easy, and oh, so delicious!

Soup-Making hints & tips

You can make as many changes as you like to this deliciously satisfying potato and cabbage soup, creating your own version! Soup making is very forgiving. Quantities don't really matter. Add more or less of anything! Keep tasting as you go along, and you'll be a pro in no time. Really!

This recipe happens to be vegan by default if it's not made with ground beef, but you can add whatever you like to suit your tastes. The amounts of vegetables can vary - a bit more of this and a little less of that. Try adding any of your favorite dried or fresh herbs.

This soup is perfect for a nice light lunch or served as an appetizer, but if you're looking for something more hearty, you can add a can of beans or some meat, like smoked sausage or wieners. Or top with some crispy bacon to serve.

In the photo of the soup above, I browned a pound of lean ground beef along with the onions and cabbage in some olive oil. Once they were nicely browned, I added everything else and continued with the recipe. The result? An absolutely marvelous flavorful broth. I added a little vinegar and freshly ground black pepper at the end. WUNDERBAR!

If you like a chunkier soup, leave it just the way is. Perhaps use potatoes that hold their shape, like Yukon Golds.

Or, if you prefer a bit of a creamy texture, purée half the soup.

German Potato and Cabbage Soup perfect any time of the year. I love making a big pot to last days! It's just as good the next day!

Here, I'm cooking a large stockpot full of potato and cabbage soup. Love having leftovers so we can enjoy this for several days. Sometimes I'll add some kale to the leftovers and make a whole new soup!

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Oma says:

You can use either a green cabbage or savoy cabbage. The savoy cabbage is a milder tasting cabbage, so it's really great for those who really don't like cabbage that much. But since cabbage is so healthy, give it a try. You'll find this is great comfort food, especially on a chilly day.

Try it with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with crispy bacon pieces. YUM!

Filling and satisfying, it's one that I make often, not just for family, but guests as well. I think you'll like it too!

What to serve with Potato and Cabbage Soup

There's nothing quite like a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. And what's even more comforting and satisfying is fresh German bread to dunk it in. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

• Brötchen ~ German Bread Rolls
• Krustenbrot ~ Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread
• Sauerteigbrot ~ German Sourdough No-Knead Bread

Spread with butter or any of your other favorite toppings.

More German Soup Recipes You'll love

• Oma's hearty goulash soup recipe
• German pancake soup recipe
• German-style lentil soup
• Soup with liver dumplings
• Oma's kale and sausage soup

Ready to make this potato & cabbage soup?

Print Recipe

German Potato and Cabbage Soup Recipe – Oma's Kohlsuppe mit Kartoffeln

This German potato and cabbage soup recipe is so delicious on a cool autumn evening or a cold snowy day. It's traditional for Oktoberfest celebrations as well. In fact, it tastes wunderbar anytime of the year!

This recipe makes enough for 4 people, but I like to double the recipe so that there are leftovers for the next day.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pound green or savoy cabbage, shredded
• 1½ quarts vegetable broth
• ½ pound carrots, sliced
• ½ pound leeks, sliced (wash well!)
• 1 pound potatoes, cubed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter and/or oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions and fry until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the shredded cabbage and continue frying to brown some of the cabbage, for about 5 minutes. Stir to keep from burning.
3. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots, leeks, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

Notes/Hints:

• Add some smoked sausage or kielbasa to the soup as it is simmering instead of using the ground beef.
• You can make this vegetarian/vegan by omitting the butter and the beef. Just brown the onions and some of the cabbage to get more flavor. 
• Try switching out a couple of potatoes for sweet potatoes for something different.
• Use beef or chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
• Season with Vegeta and/or Maggi.
• Adding a tablespoon of vinegar and some caraway seeds is optional.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

04.21.2024 revision update

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.