This red cabbage soup with apples and bratwurst makes for one delicious pot of soup! A new take on traditional cabbage soup recipes - you will LOVE the balanced combination of salty, sweet, and tangy flavors from the bratwurst, apples, seasoning, broth, and cabbage.
You'll Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe
Want more red cabbage recipes? Be sure make Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts, this wonderful Roasted Red Cabbage Recipe, or even this sweet and tangy pickled red cabbage.
"I think even cabbage haters will like this soup with red cabbage! There is so much flavor from the bratwurst and the apples and cabbage lend sweetness. It's really good!"
Well Balanced
This recipe has everything you love in soup! It is sweet, tangy, salty, and has lots of great textures as well, keeping it interesting but mostly...delicious!
Easy
This soup has minimal cutting ahead of time and is made in an hour. Plus, everything is made in one large soup pot, so fewer dishes for me means I love it even more!
Healthy
This soup with red cabbage is gluten-free, low-carb, and low-calorie per serving. Some small adjustments and variations can be made to make it even healthier and vegetarian. Check out the Variations section below for ideas!
Red Cabbage Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Bratwurst - If you can't find it ground, buy the sausage with skin on. Slice the skin lengthwise and pull it off. Crumble the brats as it cooks in the pot.
- Olive Oil - substitute with your preferred oil.
- Onion - any onion of your choice. I suggest white, yellow, or sweet onions.
- Shredded Red Cabbage - Also called purple cabbage, this will cook and soften in the soup but will still add a great texture as well! Why is it called red cabbage when it's purple cabbage? 🙂 I'm guessing it's because after it cooks, it turns red.
- Granny Smith Apples - this apple variety adds sweetness and tartness to the soup.
- Chicken Broth - substitute vegetable stock if preferred. Also, choose if you want reduced sodium, low fat, or fat-free.
- Red Wine Vinegar - I prefer red wine in this recipe, but apple cider vinegar can also be used.
- Worcestershire
- Canned Diced Tomatoes
- Brown Sugar - use regular or a brown sugar substitute if preferred.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper - you can also use freshly ground black pepper for a brighter pepper flavor.
- Optional for Serving: sour cream, cooked and crumbled bacon.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
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How To Make Red Cabbage Soup
- Preheat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add bratwurst and onions. Crumble the sausages as they cook.
- Add apples and cabbage. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add diced tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add any additional seasonings to taste.
How To Serve It
- Garnish with sour cream and crumbled cooked bacon. You can also add some fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or basil. Top with some fresh sliced green onion.
- Make it vegan - the bratwurst can be replaced with a plant-based alternative or omit it from the recipe. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and make sure your Worcestershire sauce is vegan.
- Serve with a nice fresh slice of french bread or your favorite crusty bread and butter.
Purple Cabbage Soup Variations
- Use green cabbage instead of purple cabbage.
- Add some peppers to your soup to add a little kick, such as jalapeno, serrano, or poblano.
- Substitute anything in this recipe with your preference, such as oil, broth, seasonings, or amounts.
- Use ground pork, chicken, or Italian sausage instead of traditional bratwurst.
Top Tips For The Best Red Cabbage Soup
- Feel free to double the recipe for larger gatherings. Remember to double all ingredients.
- Make it ahead of time and easily reheat it on the stove for future leftovers!
- For ease, place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker. Set it to low and let the flavors marry throughout the day.
Purple Cabbage Soup Recipe FAQs
Eating red cabbage raw brings the most nutritional value but is still high in nutrients when cooked. Red cabbage is utilized in many dishes, including soups, stews, and salads. It may be sautéed, fermented into sauerkraut, or steamed.
Bratwurst is a type of sausage, but sausages are made with many different types of ground meats, giving them different tastes and flavors. Bratwurst is typically made with ground pork or veal.
Bratwurst is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, making it a go-to for keto and low-carb diets. One link can contain up to 12 grams of protein with as little as 2 grams of carbs.
Cool your soup uncovered first, then seal it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Fully cool your soup and place it into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months
Place your soup into a small sauce or stick pot and bring to a boil on medium heat.
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📖 The recipe.
Red Cabbage Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (16 to 19 ounce) package of bratwursts (skins removed and sausage crumbled)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 6 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups granny smith apples (about 2 apples - peeled, cored, and diced)
- 7 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons worcestershire
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (a sugar substitute can also be used)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- optional for serving: sour cream, cooked and crumbled bacon
Instructions
- Preheat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and onions. Crumble bratwurst as it cooks. Saute until the bratwurst is cooked and you have achieved some browning.
- Add apples and cabbage. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, stirring to scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cover.
- Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Video
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Use pork sausage, turkey or chicken bratwurst if desired.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Garnish with sour cream and crumbled cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
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Ruth
Got a purple cabbage and an onion in my CSA last week & had some bratwurst and homemade vegetable stock in my freezer, so I made this soup today. I like my soup on the thicker side, so I used 4 cups of stock. It was really good! Can’t wait to share with my German family.
seekinggoodeats
Awww, thank you for trying the recipe. So happy you loved the soup. That worked out perfect with the ingredients! 🙂 If it can pass muster with your German family you know it's good! lol