Ham and Cabbage Soup

Ham and cabbage soup is a full pot of cabbage, potatoes, and ham that cooks down into something you can keep going back to for a few days. It works in the slow cooker when you’ve got time, or on the stove when you don’t.

Ham and Cabbage Soup, and the Day I Didn’t Hate Kindergarten

Ham and cabbage soup is what I make when there’s leftover ham sitting in the fridge and a head of cabbage that needs to be used before it goes too far. I add potatoes and broth, and at some point, it just becomes soup. I usually make it in the slow cooker because I don’t feel like standing over the stove for something that’s this simple, but if you want to do it on the stovetop you can. It’s the same ingredients, just a different amount of attention.

I grew up on this kind of soup. My grandmother was always making something in a giant pot that felt too big, and I would drag a chair over to the stove so I could reach the pot and stir, which she let me do even though I probably wasn’t helping anything. That’s where I told her everything, while standing there, watching something simmer away.

I hated kindergarten. I have an August birthday, so I was on the younger side, I was also painfully shy, the kind of shy where getting on the bus felt like a full-body event and walking home alone afterward was worse. I didn’t want to be there, I didn’t talk, I just waited for it to be over. And then one day, it wasn’t terrible.

I came home, climbed up on the chair, started stirring whatever soup she had going, and she asked me, like she always did, “How was school?” And I said, “It was good today.”

She looked at me like, this is new. “Why?” And I said, “A man came and sang that song that’s always on the radio. The Rhinestone Cowboy one.” She just nodded. “Oh. That’s nice.”

That was it. Back to soup.

A couple days later, that song comes on the radio again and she goes, “Oh, that’s your song. The one from your school.” My parents are in the room now. “What do you mean, your song?” And she says, “The man who came to her class and sang it.” My mom turns to me. “What man?” “The man. He had a guitar. He sat in one of those tiny chairs and sang Rhinestone Cowboy.”

“Like… a parent?” “I don’t know. Maybe someone’s grandpa.” They just stared at me. “There is no way,” my dad goes. “That’s Glen Campbell.” And I’m like, okay.

“That’s Glen Campbell,” my mom repeats, already halfway out of her chair. “That’s not someone’s grandpa. That’s Glen Campbell.” Which meant nothing to me.

He sat in a tiny chair. He sang a song while we had snack on the rug. He gave everyone a high five and that felt like enough.

When my mom did finally ask the teacher, it was confirmed Glen Campbell was there, at the height of everything, number one song on the radio, huge star, just… sitting in a kindergarten classroom singing Rhinestone Cowboy to a bunch of five and six year olds like it was a completely normal thing to be doing. Turns out he was friends with my teacher.

My parents had a million questions after that. “What did he say?” “What was he like?” “How long was he there?”

And I had nothing. I remember the chair. I remember the guitar. I remember the high five.

And I remember coming home and standing at the stove, stirring soup, telling my grandma about it like it was just another thing that happened. That’s the only part that stuck.

This soup is the same thing. It’s not trying to be anything mind blowing. It’s cabbage that cooks all the way down, the potatoes give the broth a little body, the ham hock holds most of the flavor, and if you let it sit overnight it’s even better the next day.

It’s ham and cabbage soup.

Just… not the kind you think about too much while it’s happening.

What This Soup Turns Into

• Brothy, not thick, not watery.
• The cabbage cooks down and softens into the broth.
• Potatoes break down enough to give it mouthfeel.
• Ham is in every bite, and the flavor runs through everything because of the ham hock.
• Savory, slightly salty from the ham, with some sweetness from the cabbage and carrots.
• Chunky enough to know what’s in it, but nothing feels off.
• Better the next day once it’s had time to sit in the fridge.

Ingredients

• Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth – don’t start salty or you’ll spend the rest of the time adjusting it. You’re building this from the start, not fixing it later.
• Yellow onion – the first thing in the pot, every time.
• Carrots – they come through a little sweeter than expected.
• Celery – the one ingredient you notice when it’s missing.
• Garlic – two cloves is standard. More is a decision.
• Green cabbage – it looks like too much until it isn’t. Give it time, it changes on its own.
• Russet potatoes – they soften and give something back to the broth.
• Ham – cut into pieces, not tiny scraps. If you’re starting from a whole ham, this is how I make and carve a bone-in holiday ham.
• Parsley – it feels necessary. Dried in the soup, fresh for garnish.
• Dried rosemary – tiny, but mighty.
• Coarse ground pepper – needed.
• Ham hock – this is where the flavor comes from. This isn’t where you hold back. It’s used the same way in my grandmother’s sauerkraut recipe.

How to Make Ham and Cabbage Soup

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (everything goes in)
  Add the broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, cabbage, potatoes, ham, parsley, rosemary, and pepper to the slow cooker. Give it a quick stir so nothing’s sitting dry on top acting like it’s not part of this.
• Step Two (ham hock, obviously)
  Set the ham hock right in the middle and press it down so it’s mostly under the broth. That’s where the depth comes from.
• Step Three (leave it alone)
  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on medium for about 4. The cabbage cooks all the way down, the potatoes soften, and the whole thing starts to smell like it’s been going all day.
• Step Four (take it out, put it back)
  Pull out the ham hock. If there’s anything worth keeping on it, pull it off and drop it back into the pot. Give it a stir so everything finds its place again.
• Step Five (taste it first)
  Taste the broth before you add anything. The ham and the ham hock have already done a lot here. You’ll know if it needs anything.
• Step Six (serve it)
  Ladle it into bowls, add a little fresh parsley if you have it, and that’s it. Bread on the side if you want it.

Stovetop Directions

If you’d rather make this on the stove, heat a little olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 to 6 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add the broth, cabbage, potatoes, ham, parsley, rosemary, pepper, and the ham hock. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the broth has taken on that same ham-forward flavor. Pull out the ham hock, add back any meat, and that’s it. This method will have less flavor. It just gets to the end faster.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t add salt at the beginning. Between the ham and the ham hock, it’s likely enough. Taste it at the end.
• Use low sodium broth. If you don’t have it, use 4 cups broth and 2 cups water or you’ll spend the rest of the time trying to fix it.
• This works best with leftover ham from a bone-in ham, since that’s where the ham hock comes from. Spiral hams won’t give you one.
• If you don’t have a ham hock, you can buy one in the meat section. They usually have them.
• If you don’t have leftover ham, use a ham steak and cut it into pieces. It will work, just not the same depth. Don’t use deli ham. It won’t hold together.
• Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so nothing is done too early while something else is still catching up.
• Cabbage shrinks more than you think it will. What looks like too much isn’t.
• If you want to add more to it, white beans, cauliflower, or kale fit. Just don’t overload it to the point where it stops being soup.

Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It tastes better the next day.
• The potatoes keep softening as it sits, and the cabbage cooks down even more.
• If it starts tasting too strong, add a little water or broth and warm it back up.
• This doesn’t freeze well. The potatoes don’t come back the same and the texture changes.
• Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until hot. It doesn’t need much.

FAQs

• Why does my broth look cloudy?
  It’s the potatoes and everything moving as it cooks. That’s normal.
• Why does it smell stronger after a day in the fridge?
  Cabbage keeps going. That’s part of it.
• Do I need to skim anything off the top?
  No. This isn’t that kind of soup.
• Why do my potatoes feel like they’re disappearing?
  They break down as they cook. That’s where some of the body comes from.
• Can I leave it in the slow cooker longer than 6 to 8 hours?
  You can, but everything will go further than you want it to.
• Why does this taste different every time I make it?
  Because the ham is always a little different. That’s what drives most of the flavor.
• Can I make this without cabbage?
  You can, but then it’s a different soup.

From My Kitchen Notes

Not recipe tips, just musings.

• Some things get better the longer they sit. Not everything, but this does.
• I had no idea Glen Campbell was a big deal, so he wasn’t. He was just a man in a tiny chair with a guitar, and that was enough for me.
• I still don’t care about celebrities or their opinions.
• I hated kindergarten, but I liked standing at the stove afterward, which is probably the only part that mattered.
• There’s a moment where everything in the pot still feels separate. It doesn’t stay that way.
• The fact that I thought Glen Campbell was a grandpa, but he was really in his forties makes me laugh now.
• Ham is the driver here. The rest falls into place if you give it time.
• There are things you don’t recognize as important when they’re happening. That doesn’t make them less real.
• Some things only make sense later, and some things don’t need to.
• A ham hock and a Polish grandmother, neither is subtle. Neither asks for approval, but both change everything they touch.
• You can leave things out of this soup, but you’ll know.
• There’s a point where not doing anything becomes the decision. Noted.
• Not everything in the pot is meant to stand out. Some things are there to carry everything else.
• I don’t remember most of kindergarten. I remember the smell of soup after, and this story because it was repeated back to me many times during my childhood.
• You can make something out of whatever you have, but it only works if you let it change.
• There are ingredients you add because they’re necessary, and ingredients you add because you know what happens if you leave them out.
• Some things don’t declare themselves while they’re happening. They just become obvious later.
• You can stand right next to something and not realize what you’re looking at.
• There’s always more going on in a pot like this than it looks like from the outside.

More Brothy Soups

• Wonton Soup – clear broth, quick, simple.
• Minestrone Soup – vegetables, beans, broth.
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup – broth, noodles, slow cooked.
• Thai Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut Milk – brothy, coconut, a little richer.

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Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Ham and Cabbage Soup

Ham and cabbage soup with potatoes, cabbage, and ham cooked into a brothy soup with soft vegetables and a savory broth. Slow cooker or stovetop depending on how you make it.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage soup with ham, ham and cabbage soup, ham cabbage potato soup, leftover ham soup, slow cooker cabbage soup

Servings: 6

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• slow cooker Cooks the soup low and slow for better flavor.
• Dutch Oven or large pot. For stovetop version.
• Ladle For serving.

Ingredients

• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
• 3 celery ribs chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups (180 g) chopped green cabbage
• 2 cups (300 g) peeled and diced russet potatoes
• 1½ cups (225 g) chopped ham
• 1 tsp (2 g) dried parsley
• ½ tsp (0.5 g) dried rosemary leaves
• ½ tsp (0.5 g) coarse ground black pepper
• 1 ham hock
• fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Instructions (Slow Cooker):

• Add the broth, diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chopped cabbage, potatoes, ham, parsley, rosemary, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine so the vegetables are evenly distributed in the broth.
  6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth, 1 large yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 3 celery ribs, 2 cloves garlic, 3 cups (180 g) chopped green cabbage, 2 cups (300 g) peeled and diced russet potatoes, 1½ cups (225 g) chopped ham, 1 tsp (2 g) dried parsley, ½ tsp (0.5 g) dried rosemary leaves, ½ tsp (0.5 g) coarse ground black pepper
• Nestle the ham hock into the center of the soup, making sure it is mostly submerged so it can release flavor into the broth as it cooks.
  1 ham hock
• Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on medium for about 4 hours, until the cabbage is very tender, the potatoes are soft, and the broth has taken on a rich, savory flavor from the ham.
• Remove the ham hock and discard it or pull off any usable meat and return it to the soup. Stir the soup gently to redistribute the ingredients.
• Taste the broth before adding any salt. The ham and ham hock will add salt as the soup cooks, so additional seasoning may not be needed.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, with chopped parsley and additional ham if desired.
  fresh parsley

Instructions (Stovetop):

• Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  1 large yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 3 celery ribs, 2 cloves garlic
• Add the broth, cabbage, potatoes, ham, parsley, rosemary, black pepper, and ham hock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth, 3 cups (180 g) chopped green cabbage, 2 cups (300 g) peeled and diced russet potatoes, 1½ cups (225 g) chopped ham, 1 tsp (2 g) dried parsley, ½ tsp (0.5 g) dried rosemary leaves, ½ tsp (0.5 g) coarse ground black pepper, 1 ham hock
• Remove the ham hock, return any usable meat to the pot, and taste before adding salt. Add fresh parsley for garnish if you like.

Notes

• Use leftover ham cut into chunks, not thin deli slices.
• Low-sodium broth is important to prevent the soup from becoming too salty. If needed, use 4 cups broth and 2 cups water.
• The ham hock adds depth of flavor but can be omitted; adjust salt at the end if needed.
• Additional vegetables like cauliflower, kale, or white beans can be added.

 

 

If you’re making this Ham and Cabbage Soup, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Ham and Cabbage Soup

Amount Per Serving (300 g)

Calories 240 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 40mg13%

Sodium 780mg34%

Potassium 720mg21%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 5200IU104%

Vitamin C 32mg39%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made this Ham and Cabbage Soup? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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