Sweet and Sour Vegan Cabbage Soup with Lentils tastes just like my grandma’s Jewish Cabbage Soup! This easy plant-based soup recipe is meatless and delicious, hearty and satisfying….evocative of childhood in all the best ways!
Did your grandmother make sweet and sour cabbage soup when you were growing up? Yeah, mine did too…and I’ve recreated her eastern european Jewish cabbage soup recipe substituting red lentils for the meat, and using raisins instead of brown sugar. The taste is pure nostalgia!
I like to think of this as the “lazy version” of sweet and sour stuffed cabbage….a deconstructed cabbage roll soup, if you will…I’m not lazy, but now that I’m the one doing all the cooking, I’m totally here for this Vegan Cabbage Soup Recipe! Less potchke, same great taste. I think even my grandmother would approve!
Ingredient Notes
- Thinly sliced or shredded cabbage will wilt into the soup, chunks of cabbage will hold firm. Decide in advance which camp you’re in.
- I finely dice the apple so it falls apart, leaving behind a sweet flavor in the broth. I don’t bother to peel it…sounds like extra work for no reason. You can also use a box grater to shred the apple in no time.
- If you make my homemade veggie broth and store it in the freezer in silicone molds you’ll always have some when needed for cabbage soup recipes like this!
How to make it
Heat soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Use a bit of broth to wet the bottom and then sauce onions, carrots, celery for about 3 minutes.
Stir in the paprika, oregano, salt and white pepper and continue to cook over medium until veggies begin to soften. Use another tablespoon or two broth if the pan becomes dry.
Press or microplane grate garlic cloves right over pan and stir until it becomes fragrant.
Add the cabbage and stir to coat with spices. It will take a couple minutes for it to wilt a bit and the volume to decrease.
Now add the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, raisins, apple and red lentils. Stir to combine.
Stir in 4 cups broth. If it’s not enough to cover the veggies, add ¼ water. Turn up the heat until it comes to a boil and then turn down to simmer.
While that’s cooking for 15 minutes, pour 1 cup HOT water over the miso.
Use a whisk or fork to thoroughly dilute the miso into the water.
Pour the miso mixture into the soup and stir well.
Turn off the heat and add the parsley.
Stir to thoroughly combine. It will wilt as it sits in the hot broth.
Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper or a dash more vinegar for some additional zing.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Personally, I love to chop veggies…I find it meditative. If that’s not your vibe, no problem! Use your food processor or hand held mandolin to shred the cabbage, chop the onion, carrots, celery and even the apple. Gets the job done quick and easy.
- I like my cabbage soup with varied texture. This means some vegetables have disintegrated, some have a bit of bite to them. I like the lentils not quite falling apart. If the soup is too “al dente” for you, cook it for another 5 minutes.
- For a brothier soup, make another 1 cup hot water with 1 tablespoon miso paste slurry and stir it into your cabbage soup.
- More interested in “hot and sour cabbage soup” than “sweet and sour?” Skip the raisins and add a squirt of your favorite sriracha!
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📖 Recipe
Sweet & Sour Vegan Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion large, diced
- 3 carrots large, sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 4 cloves garlic large, grated
- 4 cups shredded cabbage about ½ medium head
- 1 apple finely diced
- 1 cup red lentils
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cups water
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep your veggies: thinly slice cabbage. ½ medium head of green cabbage will yield about 4 cups. Peel carrots and slice into rounds. Dice onion and celery.
- Heat soup pot over medium heat and swirl in 1-2 tablespoons broth. Saute veggies for about 3 minutes. Add the paprika, salt, pepper and oregano. Stir and continue to cook another 2 minutes. Grate garlic over the pot. Stir until fragrant. Add an additional tablespoon or more broth as needed to keep pan from becoming dry.
- While veggies cook, finely dice apple, rinse and drain lentils.
- Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, lentils, raisins and apples. Then add 4 cups broth and stir well. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to keep a steady simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add miso paste to 1 cup HOT water and whisk until miso has fully dissolved. Pour into soup and mix well. If soup is not brothy enough for you, repeat this step.
- Turn off heat. Sprinkle in the parsley and mix. Taste for seasoning, adding a splash of vinegar, or more salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
Store and Reheat
Store: Cabbage soup will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. I like to use wide mouth mason jars. Freeze for up to 3 months, making sure to leave a little room in your jar for the soup to expand. Reheat: Reheat over medium heat until soup has come to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer, stir and keep stirring until it comes back to a simmer, ensuring it’s hot throughout. Transport: Use a thermos to take soup with you on the go. Be sure to first fill it with boiling water, let it sit a couple minutes to heat up. Then you can pour out the water and fill your warmed thermos with hot soup.Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Iris Koller
Just so so so good! I wanted to make it a meal, so I added 1 cup uncooked rice. I omitted the lentils and substituted rehydrated and spiced TVP for the protein. It was everything I love about stuffed cabbage without the work!
Thank you!
Debra Klein
I love this! Everything you love about stuffed cabbage, without the work….perfect description! Glad you enjoyed it.
Marguerite LaDue
Debra you hit this out of the ballpark!! I am coming off of a 21 day water fast and cabbage soup is a good transitional item. OMG when I ate this tonight every cell in my body jumped for joy. I love the texture, the flavors, the look, the taste….basically everything.
I’ve been a follower of yours for several years now. I grew up on Good Housekeeping recipes and I knew that whatever I made I would like. Well that’s how I feel about you. I trust that I will like what you dreamed up and you haven’t let me down yet. I’m venturing into vegan territory now and can’t wait to explore more of your recipes.
Thank you so much for your dedication to your craft. A raving fan, Marguerite
Debra Klein
Ah…thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Such nice compliments…and I’m glad you loved the soup.