Creamy Potato Soup with Cabbage (Printable)

Velvety potato soup with tender cabbage, carrots, and cream. A comforting European classic ready in 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1/2 head green cabbage (about 14 oz), thinly sliced
05 - 1.5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
06 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups vegetable stock
08 - 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Crusty bread for serving, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 4 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add sliced cabbage and diced carrots to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, dried thyme, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
05 - Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are very tender.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup partially, leaving some chunks for texture and body.
07 - Stir in milk or cream. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Warm through without allowing to boil.
08 - Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It uses simple ingredients you probably already have, no specialty store trips required.
  • The texture is creamy without feeling heavy, and you can adjust the thickness exactly how you like it.
  • Cabbage becomes sweet and soft instead of bitter, which surprises people every time.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day after the flavors settle in overnight.
02 -
  • Don't skip removing the bay leaf before blending, I forgot once and had to fish out woody shards from the soup.
  • Blend carefully if using a regular blender instead of an immersion blender, hot liquid can explode out the top if you fill it too full.
  • Add the cream off the heat or on very low heat to avoid curdling, patience here makes all the difference.
03 -
  • Cut your potatoes into even pieces so they cook at the same rate, uneven chunks mean some will be mushy while others stay hard.
  • Use a potato masher instead of a blender if you want control over texture, mashing just enough to thicken without losing all the chunks.
  • Toast your bread while the soup finishes so it's warm and crispy when you serve, perfect for dipping into the creamy broth.
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