Farmhouse Cabbage Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kielbasa is rustic, hearty and some of the best soup you'll make all fall and winter long!
This is probably something we can all agree on: January is a tough, L-O-N-G month. Thankfully, February is a short, but then there's March when winter refuses to give up! However, this rustic and hearty Farmhouse Cabbage Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kielbasa will help get you and your crew through!
The inspiration behind Farmhouse Cabbage Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kielbasa:
This amazing soup was inspired by a visit to my parent's farmhouse in central Wisconsin when my mother was hospitalized before she passed away. Even though the hospital was an hour away, we went there every day. When we returned home at the end of the day and it became increasingly clear she may never make it home again, we all needed something to lift our spirits.
My family is Polish and because cabbage is a mainstay in Polish cooking, there always seems to be a head of cabbage at my father's house. My father is a hunter, fisherman, gardener and forest forager so his freezer is always filled. It has everything from venison Polish sausage to Wisconsin bluegills to wild blackberries. The root cellar is stocked with everything from potatoes to salsa to sauerkraut.
Because my father's house is so well-stocked, I was able to pull this soup together with what he had on hand. It's comforting, soul-satisfying, bone-warming, rustic, a little spicy and was just what we all needed at the time.
When to use canned beans versus dried beans:
My general rule of thumb of when to use canned beans versus cooking dried beans is how present they are in the dish I'm planning to make. For a dish like this, canned beans work fine because of the different textures going on. If I'm making a bean dish, then, by all means, it's better to cook the beans from dried.
Although cannellini beans (or white kidney beans) are used mainly in Italian cuisine, the Poles use them in Breton Beans or Fasolka po Bretonsku, a dish that originated in England but is very popular in Poland.
Having traveled to Krakow, Poland a couple of times, I was impressed by the variety of international cuisines one can enjoy there. It's not all pierogi and stuffed cabbage! Therefore, I used a combination of spices in this cabbage soup from other cuisines: Hungarian paprika adds to the East European feel of this soup and curry powder for an exotic Indian touch.
Warm crusty bread is all you need on the side. Stay warm and enjoy!
For more great, hearty soup recipes, be sure to try my:
- Italian Vegetable Stew
- Smoky Spanish Vegetable and White Bean Soup with Kale
- Old-Fashioned Potato, Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
- Spicy Kale, Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup with Bacon
- Russian Cabbage Soup (Shchi)
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale
- Traditional Hungarian Goulash Soup
Farmhouse Cabbage Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kielbasa
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion - finely chopped
- 2 large carrots - chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) petite diced tomatoes - undrained
- 1 cup tomato juice - or vegetable broth
- ½ head green cabbage - coarsely chopped
- 1 pound kielbasa - pork or turkey, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 3 cans (15-ounces each) cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until it begins to soften.
- Add the carrot and celery and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato or vegetable juice, cabbage, kielbasa, garlic, paprika and curry powder.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover slightly and cook until the cabbage is tender approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the beans and heat through.
- Adjust seasoning if necessary and add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Maria Teresa Legler says
Hi, this recipe looks delicious, but then I saw Sodium level. I am on low sodium diet, maximum of 1,100/day. I usually boil any sausage first to remove some of Sodium. I’m presuming, by cooking my own dried white beans would also make a difference. Any other suggestions? Oh, I use low/no sodium broth.
Carol says
Hi, Maria, Thanks so much for your question. You definitely want to use diced or petite diced tomatoes that are "no salt" added or even used fresh, diced tomatoes along with any juice they produce along with low sodium vegetable or tomato juice. Great tip on boiling the sausage! Boar's Head Smoked Uncured Sausage has 440 mg sodium while Hillshire Farm has 520 mg so Boar's Head would be a better choice. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy!
Lora Chance says
This is definitely a comfort soup. I made it all in my Instant Pot and my family loves it.
Macy says
This was delicious. I halved the recipe and we still have plenty of leftovers with 2 people. Thank you!
Rebecca says
Hi. This sounds wonderful. Any recommendations on how to bring this all together using dried white beans soaked overnight? It would be nice to meld some of the flavor into the bean while cooking but don't want to overcook other items. Thanks!
Carol says
Hi, Rebecca, Thanks so much for your question! If you wanted to start with dry beans, I would soak them first and then just use a small amount of the kielbasa to flavor them as they cook. Add the rest of the kielbasa to the soup and then the drained beans with that small amount of kielbasa as directed. Hope this helps!
Rebecca says
This looks amaizing! Any recommendations on how you would prep this using dried beans soaked overnight?