If you know cabbage soup, you know ball. And there is a reason old-school cabbage soup never really goes out of rotation. Firstly, it’s affordable, and humbly so. Secondly, it’s incredibly filling (thanks fiber), flexible, and comforting. And Third, your grandma or your mom or maybe even you have eaten it for the magical fiber fueled powers of de-bloating and slimming down a touch around the waist. I mean why else would the 7 day cabbage soup fad diet have existed (I do not recommend this at all just to be clear). This version keeps everything that works about the classic – the soup that is, not the unhealthy diet mindset – and updates it just enough to feel intentional rather than dated.
And just to be even more clear here, I wasn’t trying to reinvent anything on a massive scale. I actually really enjoy a cabbage soup, and I know I am not alone in that! The base is exactly what you’d expect: cabbage, onion, garlic, potato, broth, salt, and pepper. The small shift is in the texture. Blending half the soup changes everything. You still get bite from the cabbage and potatoes, but the broth turns creamy without cream, heavy thickeners, or extra steps.
Garleek though is a modern twist that feels.. shall I say, just a touch luxury. It brings a softer, sweeter allium note than onion alone, and punches up a notch the already existing garlic. Nutritional yeast adds depth without pushing the soup into “cheesy” territory and the lemon finish alongside it helps in that balancing act. It’s subtle. More savory than rich. And a great soup for dipping in for a second serving.
This is also one of those soups that welcomes improvisation. If your cabbage is bigger, add more broth. If your potatoes are small, throw in another. Celery doesn’t steal the show, but round things out and make the broth taste like it’s been simmering much longer than it does. Then enter the immersion blending step, which I would argue is the key moment in this whole process. What you aren’t doing in this step is pureeing the whole pot. What you ARE doing is giving the soup just enough body and creaminess that it feels comforting without losing structure. If you skip that step, it’s still a good soup. But if you do it, it’s the version you’ll come back to.
Like most simple soups (or dare I say all soups?), this one improves as it sits. The flavors settle, the texture thickens slightly, and leftovers reheat beautifully. Serve it with bread, toast, or on its own. Make it once as written, then adjust it forever after. Let’s get cooking!
Cabbage Potato Garleek Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter of choice
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup garleek sliced (white and light green parts)
- 1 small head green cabbage chopped into bite-size pieces
- 4 medium waxy yellow potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery diced (classic soup backbone)
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth or salted water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- salt to taste if needed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to finish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garleek with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until aromatic.
- Add the cabbage, potatoes, and celery. Toss to coat everything in the aromatics.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the bay leaf, thyme (if using), salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage is very soft.
- Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup directly in the pot, leaving plenty of chunky pieces for texture.
- Stir in the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve hot, with extra black pepper or a drizzle of olive oil if desired.