Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup with Potatoes (Hearty Polish-American Fall Soup)

Why you’ll love it

• Big, smoky flavor: browned kielbasa, paprika and caraway make a rich broth without hours of simmering.
• One pot, one hour: everything cooks in a single Dutch oven for easy cleanup.
• Budget-friendly and filling: cabbage and potatoes stretch one ring of sausage into 8 hearty bowls.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ring (14 oz / 400 g) smoked Polish kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 can (14.5 oz / 411 g) diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 8 cups (1.9 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled or scrubbed, cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes
• 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lb / 900 g), cored and chopped into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (about 8 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill
• Sour cream
• Rye bread and butter

Step-by-step method

1. Brown the kielbasa. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot (at least 6 quarts / 5.7 liters) over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.

2. Soften the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and translucent.

3. Toast the garlic and spices. Add the garlic, paprika, caraway and thyme and cook 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.

4. Add the liquids and potatoes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Add the cabbage and simmer. Stir in the cabbage; it will wilt as it cooks. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes and cabbage are very tender.

6. Return the kielbasa. Add the browned kielbasa back to the pot and simmer uncovered 5 minutes more so it heats through and flavors the broth.

7. Season and serve. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste (the kielbasa is salty, so taste first). Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley or dill and top with a spoonful of sour cream. Serve with rye bread and butter.

How to know it is done

The soup is done when a potato cube breaks apart easily when pressed against the side of the pot with a spoon, the cabbage is soft and silky with no crunch left in the thick ribs, and the broth is a rich reddish orange with little pools of flavorful fat on top. The kielbasa should be heated through and slightly plump. Taste the broth: it should be smoky, savory and gently tangy after the vinegar.

Tips for the best result

• Brown the kielbasa well; those browned bits on the bottom of the pot are the base of the flavor.
• Use Yukon Gold potatoes; they hold their shape but turn creamy and lightly thicken the broth.
• Cut the cabbage into bite-size pieces and remove the hard core so every spoonful is tender.
• Use low-sodium broth and add salt only at the end, because smoked sausage adds a lot of salt.
• Do not skip the splash of vinegar; it balances the rich sausage and sweet cabbage.

Variations and substitutions

• Turkey kielbasa: use turkey kielbasa for a lighter soup and add 1 more tablespoon of butter.
• With beans: add 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) drained cannellini or navy beans with the kielbasa.
• Sauerkraut twist: stir in 1 cup (140 g) rinsed, drained sauerkraut with the cabbage for a tangier, more traditional flavor.
• Smoked paprika: use 1 tsp smoked paprika in place of half of the sweet paprika for extra smokiness.
• Slow cooker: brown the kielbasa and vegetables, then cook everything except the vinegar on LOW 6 to 7 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours; stir in the vinegar before serving.
• Vegetarian: skip the sausage, use vegetable broth, smoked paprika and 2 cans of white beans.

Make ahead

This soup tastes even better the next day. Make it completely up to 2 days ahead, cool it, cover and refrigerate. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until steaming, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. You can also chop the onion, carrots, celery and cabbage up to 1 day ahead and keep them in separate bags in the refrigerator.

Storage and reheating

Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual bowls in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway, or reheat the pot on the stove over medium heat. To freeze, cool completely and freeze in freezer containers for up to 3 months, leaving room at the top; the potatoes become a little softer after freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.