The Secret To Better Cabbage In Soup Is In One Simple Step

Cabbage soup has a cozy, down-home, comfort food vibe that's always welcome — the veg even stars in Dolly Parton's childhood stone soup. You probably think of it as a nutritious meal for a cold winter day, or an easy way to clean out your vegetable drawer. After all, cabbage is versatile, with a subtle, unobtrusive flavor that works with carrots, tomatoes, squash, and just about anything else you have on-hand. 

There are plenty of ways to give the modest vegetable a cosmopolitan edge, though. Star chefs love to pair cabbage with unexpected ingredients – but you can actually elevate your cabbage game without any extra add-ins. Just take inspiration from French onion soup, and caramelize the cabbage. 

Okay, caramelized cabbage does require one extra thing: time. As with onions, caramelizing the vegetable takes a while. You'll need to babysit the pot for about 45 minutes. No time to stand around stirring? You might be able to get away with using a slow cooker or Instant Pot. But the slow cooker method could take the better part of a day, and caramelizing veggies in an Instant Pot isn't always as easy as it seems. The upside? Once you've successfully caramelized your cabbage, you'll get that sweet-and-subtly-umami flavor that makes French onion soup famous. It's easy, too: Caramelizing cabbage isn't that different from caramelizing onions, just on a bigger scale.

To prep the cabbage, remove the outer leaves, and cut off the bottom. Then, slice the head in two, and cut it into thin strips. You might only need half a head for a regular cabbage soup that serves four people, but don't underestimate it for this method. It can cook down a lot when you're caramelizing it, and even a large cabbage could yield just a couple of cups. While you could use green or red cabbage for the soup, keep in mind that red can impart an unwanted color.

Heat your oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the sliced cabbage with a bit of salt. If you're cooking a lot of it, let some of the leaves wilt before adding more to the pot. Feel free to throw in a little sliced onion to caramelize along with the cabbage, too. Keep checking back every few minutes to stir the cabbage, turning down the heat as the leaves start to soften and brown. If it starts to stick, add a little water, and turn the heat down more. Once the cabbage is caramelized to your liking, add seasonings, broth, and other veggies for your chosen soup recipe.

Keep in mind that you might need to switch up the seasonings when incorporating caramelized cabbage. If the soup seems too sweet, a splash of something sour — like lemon juice or vinegar — can help balance the flavors. Bitter flavors, like beer or even cocoa powder, can fix an overly-sweet soup, too. For an adventurous kick, add a little chili pepper or hot sauce. Just be careful about adding extra salt, as it can actually enhance the sweet taste.