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Spicy sausage, tender white beans, fresh cabbage, hearty broth, and plenty of spices come together in this satisfying Mexican Cabbage Soup. Your whole family is going to love this one.
My friends, there is something you need to know about me. I take my cabbage seriously. Maybe a little too seriously. But, I’m on a mission to show people that cabbage is so underrated! And like my very popular Italian cabbage and sausage soup, this southwest inspired soup is a surefire way to start bringing cabbage skeptics to the table.
Mexican Cabbage Soup
My friends, I spent so many years sweltering in the heat of an Arizona summer. So, any time the weather begins to cool, the first thing that I crave is soup. The heartier, the better! In fact, I want soups to be so thick and hearty that they almost cross into the stew category.
The tender white beans play so well with the cabbage and sausage, adding a creamy texture to each bite. And, can we also address the elephant in the room? While I love an occasional slow simmered recipe, I rarely have time for it. So, a soup recipe that is ready to eat in just 20 mintues? Count me all the way in!
I want to thank you for sharing this recipe. I had half a head of cooked cabbage and a couple of cooked Italian sausages leftover. I improvised a taco style mix with what was in my cupboard (paprika, garlic, cumin, oregano, Adobo, Vegetable) and WOW what a lovely cabbage soup!!! It is delicious, and the cilantro really brightens it up! Going to chop up some lime wedges to add when serving! When I find an amazing recipe that uses up what I already have, it brightens my day…so thank you again!
Ingredients & Substitutions
The Stars – I adore green cabbage, and it takes center stage of this recipe along with plenty of canned great northern white beans.
Sausage – I use a hot sausage because I love the mild heat. You can swap for a milder sausage if you have a sensitivity to spice.
Seasonings – This soup keeps things simple by starting with a taco seasoning blend. You can use a store-bought variety (I’m not especially brand loyal on this one, we typically buy whatever Costco has available). When I have it on hand, I like to use my homemade taco seasoning in recipes like this. However, I always have a back-up store-bought variety on hand for when we run low.
Notes on Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large soup pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Can opener – I’ve used a lot of these over the years, but this one is my favorite. It’s actually comfortable to hold. And, it turns easily and takes just a few rotations to open each can. I’ve owned mine for over 8 years.
- Ladle
How to Make Mexican Cabbage Soup
Browning the sausage: I heat a large pot over medium high heat. Once, it’s fully heated, add the sausage to cook and crumble.
Adding the Spices: You’re going to want to season the sausage while there’s just a bit of pink remaining, usually after about 4-5 minutes. Then stir and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until there’s no pink remaining. You might need to drain any excess grease.
Prepping the Cabbage: I rinse, halve, and core the cabbage. Then, you just have to roughly chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces.
Soup, Assemble! Turn the heat to high, and add the chopped cabbage, beans, broth, and cumin right into the pot with the sausage. Once it comes to a boil, I reduce the heat and let it simmer for just a few minutes.
Tasting: Once the cabbage is bright green and tender, you need to taste the soup. I typically will add a little more salt at this step, but only if it is needed.
Serving: After removing the soup from the stove (don’t forget to turn off the heat!), I ladle it into bowls and will serve with some fresh chopped cilantro. It’s so good!
Expert Tip
This soup recipe is darn close to foolproof. But, if there is a part that sometimes messes people up, it’s letting it simmer for too long. You want the cabbage to mellow, so that it softens, and turns ever so slightly sweet. If you cook it for too long, even this hardy crucifer will eventually turn into a sad and mushy mess. So, check the texture of your cabbage, and let that be your guide to when the soup is done.
Chop the Cabbage Evenly – This doesn’t have to be an exact science, but try to cut the cabbage into similarly sized pieces. This way they’ll cook in roughly the same time, so you won’t end up with some that are mushy and others that are still tough.
Sear the Meat – Once you’ve crumbled the sausage, let it rest in the pot without stirring, so that it gets a nice sear. Those glorious darker brown bits are a result of the Maillard reaction, pronounced the same way as Tolkien’s fictional race of angelic beings, the Maiar. Trust me, the added flavor and texture that you get from this step is heavenly, indeed!
Deglaze, Deglaze, Deglaze! – Any time you brown meat, you can get bits that stick to the bottom of the pot. Scrape those flavorful bits up when you add the broth and other ingredients so that they meld into the soup.
Make it Yours – This recipe is endlessly customizable! You can adjust the spices and seasonings to suit your personal preferences. Add less taco seasoning for a milder flavor, or if you’re like me, add some crushed red pepper flakes before digging in!
Serving Suggestions
Soup pretty much requires something to soak up all that flavorful broth. This garlic herb bread is perfect for that task. Or, if I want to lean into a more cozy feel for dinner, I make a batch of my light and fluffy biscuits.
And, if I’m trying to win over someone who’s still on the fence about cabbage, I pair this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. I’m telling you, there’s nothing better than a cheesy, buttery sandwich and this soup. Just follow this guide to the perfect grilled cheese and you’ll have a proud team of cabbage fans in no time!
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: This cabbage soup tastes even better the next day because the flavors get a chance to meld and marry in the refrigerator. It’s also a strong candidate for a make-ahead freezer meal.
Storing: Store leftover soup tightly sealed in the refrigerator and enjoy it within 3 days. You can also freeze this for up to a month. I like to portion it out before freezing, so that I can thaw and heat up a single serving for an easy lunch.
Reheating: If I’m just warming a single portion, then into the microwave it goes at 60 second intervals. For a larger amount, I like to reheat this in a pot on the stove at low heat.
More Soup Recipes with Cabbage
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends. I fell in love with Jimmy Dean hot sausage because I don’t typically have to drain it after it’s been cooked. But, if the sausage has more than a tablespoon or two of grease in the pan after cooking, slide the meat to one side of the pan and tilt it toward the other edge. Then, just use a large spoon to scoop out the excess or blot it out with paper towels.
Right now, I have a jar of Spice Island taco seasoning in my cupboard. It’s my favorite blend (when Costco has it in stock) because I find it to be a good bit less salty than many of the other name brands. If I’m not making my homemade taco seasoning, this is a terrific option for this soup.
Never fear. You can also use cannellini beans or even white navy beans, instead. Both have a similar texture to the great northern beans that I prefer.
First, remove the outer leaves that are not tightly packed to the head. Then, give it a rinse to clean it. You might need to remove a few off the tight leaves, if they are damaged. Then, slice the head in half through the stem.
For each half, you’ll need to cut down at an angle to create a triangle section containing the stem, and pop it out. Then, just lay it flat and chop it into pieces.
Mexican Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot sausage
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 1 small green cabbage cut into 1-inch bite size pieces
- 4 (15-ounce) cans white beans drained
- 62 ounces chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the sausage. Sprinkle with Mexican spices as it cooks.
- Add the cabbage, white beans, chicken broth, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage is bright green and slightly tender. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
- Remove from the heat, add cilantro, and stir once more. Scoop into bowls and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What kind of white beans – Great Northern, cannellini…? And regular pork sausage?
I typically use white beans, but cannellini work as well. Regular pork sausage or hot sausage will both work for this recipe.
Now this white bean and cabbage soup looks GREAT!
Oh my gosh…The BEST soup ever! I didn’t add any salt and only used cumin and pepper it’s so easy!! “Souper” good!
I’m thrilled that you love the soup, Sharon.
Please rename this is an insult to us Hispanics’s just because it has bean it doesn’t make it a MEXICAN dish 🤦♀️ this is stereotype and racism we as MEXICAN’s never heard of this nor would stand behind this dish rename it this is a lawsuit why don’t you namme so dishies black or white ?? Exactly change this name this is not a Mexican dish
Oh, Veronica. This recipe is simply flavored with Mexican spices. Calling something “Mexican soup” as identified by the seasonings and flavors, is a very common method of naming and differentiating recipes. For what it’s worth, nowhere in this recipe do I claim that it is an “authentic Mexican classic” or that it was made by my Abuela 100 years ago. Despite the fact that I was born in Mexico City and raised in New Mexico with a steady diet of spicy green and red chile throughout my adult life, that doesn’t make me any kind of expert here. If the soup doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to ignore it. You made me grin though at the idea that anyone might see this and assume that a white bean and cabbage soup was anything more than flavored with Mexican spices. It must be frustrating that it was so offensive to you. For future reference, I’d recommend not randomly clicking on ANY recipes that are called “Mexican” these days, unless you personally know the bona fides of the recipe creator.
Veronica, your life must have a very difficult existence if your so easily offended by a soup recipe… I grew up 10 minutes from Mexico and have Spanish family that still lives there. Your comment is laughable and you just make me cringe. 🤣🤣 Go do something more productive with your life. 🤦
And thank you Barefeetinthekitchen for sharing this wonderful soup flavored with Mexican spices. ♥️♥️
YOU should remove your post! YOU should be embarrassed because you sound quite ignorant! But I got a good laugh.
As for the recipe 5 STARS!
What a rude person, sound like you don’t respect anyone. She should of deleted your racist spat. If a Hispanic cook decides to use cabbage in their recipe along with other traditional ingredients; it is in fact a Mexican or Hispanic dish. I have all type of friends born in Mexico that now work in the US. They cook using beans, chicken, ham, beef. They also use vegetables grown in the US. They use traditional spices, flavor profiles and ingredients along with some American vegetable and they create wonderful dishes. They also buy from Hispanic theme grocery stores that only sell Hispanic brands foods, fruit/vegetables, spices, meats butchered and flavor within their meat counters. I’m half German, I use cabbage in all types of soups. Cabbage in soups enhances the flavor. Vegetable, Southern Bean Soups, Rice and Bean, Ham and bean soups, and other soups that don’t call for cabbage should have it added to them. Celery, Carrots and Onions give flavor, but shredded/large chunk cabbage takes soup over the top. Cabbage in soups is just a added vegetable broth profile to add to celery, carrots, and cabbage. Try vegetable soup with stewed beef, cabbage.
Veronica. You’re setting yourself up to have an unhappy life to be so easily offended. Real racism needs to be confronted but, in this case, it’s not there
I was wondering if red cabbage would work, only because I have some in the fridge. Lol Or should I stick with green?
Red cabbage will work just fine, Heather. It will just change the appearance of the soup a bit.
This looks so good! If I’m going to be using dry beans, what do you think would be best, to cook them first, or add pre soaked and cook with broth? I don’t buy canned beans. Thank you!
I would suggest presoaking, Shelley.
I want to thank you for sharing this recipe. I had half a head of cooked cabbage and a couple of cooked Italian sausages leftover. I improvised a taco style mix with what was in my cupboard(paprika, garlic, cumin, oregano, Adobo, Vegetable) and WOW what a lovely cabbage soup!!! It is delicious, and the cilantro really brightens it up! Going to chop up some lime wedges to add when serving! When I find an amazing recipe that uses up what I already have, it brightens my day…so thank you again!
You are welcome, Karen! I’m glad you loved the soup so much. It brightens my day too.
Great recipe. I was raised in a German family and we use cabbage in all types of soups. Most people just use Celery, Carrots, and Onion as their vegetable broth profile with dice tomatoes. When you add Cabbage, the blend of flavor profiles enhances the flavor of the soup broth. I use cabbage in Vegetable with stew meat, bean and rice, southern bean soup, ham and bean, and other white beans soups with zucchini/squash/spinach. Next time you make a large pot of Vegetable and beef stew meat soup; add about 4 cups of cabbage to it. You’ll love it. I will sometimes add cooked rice into the bowl when I serve.
Hearty soups are always a great dinner option, Robert! We love dishes with heavy cabbage, too.
I don’t know you. I am interested in all your cookbooks. Enjoyable healthy food really interests me. Having more energy and losing weight interests me. Staying in the best shape and feeling full interests me. I am going to collect your cookbooks. Your generosity of spirit makes you shine in my book. Love your recipes. I must collect them. I hope you have your best life. Goodness girl, you did it. Best wishes! ❤ what you created for us. 68 years old
I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipes, Carla!
Hi Mary, I just came across your recipe and am going shopping for some of the ingredients. Tomorrow is soup day and I am looking forward to make this soup, and freeze some. I had a good laugh from Veronica’s comment ! Sorry, but she is pathetic. I will let you know how much I will love this soup after tomorrow. I will omit the cilantro, I’m one of those with the “gene !” Thanks for a great recipe. Nancy 🙂
I hope that you love it!
hi Mary. do you think cooking down some Mexican chorizo and draining the grease then adding it to the soup would work?
Sounds great to me!
Do you recommend italian sausage or breakfast sausage?
I use a breakfast sausage, however an Italian sausage will work as well if that’s your preference.