Sausage Cabbage Soup

This is the kind of soup you throw together on a weeknight and wonder why you don’t make it more often. Browned Italian sausage, sliced cabbage, zucchini, and onions simmer in a broth built from jarred spaghetti sauce, water, and beef bouillon. It comes together fast and tastes like it simmered all day.

Using spaghetti sauce as the base is a smart shortcut. It brings tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning in one pour, so you don’t need to build flavor from scratch. The bouillon cubes add beefy depth that rounds out the tomato.

The recipe lets you adjust the water to taste, which is key. Too much spaghetti sauce makes it more like a stew than a soup. Add water until the tomato flavor is present but not overwhelming.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the sausage well before adding liquid. That caramelized fond on the bottom of the pot adds serious flavor to the broth.
• Slice the cabbage thin so it softens quickly. Thick wedges take too long and stay tough.
• Don’t skip the fresh grated Parmesan or Romano on top. It melts into the hot broth and adds a salty, savory richness.
• This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to deepen.

Variations

• Use hot Italian sausage instead of mild for a spicier bowl.
• Add a can of cannellini beans for extra protein and a more filling soup.
• Toss in a handful of small pasta like ditalini in the last 10 minutes for an Italian wedding soup feel.