Cabbage soup

Sweet and sour cabbage soup is an Ashkenazi winter soup: white cabbage, tomatoes, onion and a little sugar and lemon, cooked until the cabbage is soft and sweet. Grandma cooked it on beef bones; here it is plant-based, and the meat waits in the versions.

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Cabbage soupIllustration
Time1 h 15 minCook 45 min
Pot8 bowls2.8 litres
Per bowl121 kcal3.3 g protein · a 350 ml bowl
Cost of the pot₪16for the pot, about ₪2 a bowl

The story of Cabbage soup

Cabbage was the winter vegetable of Eastern Europe: it grows in the cold, keeps for months in a cellar, and whatever was not eaten fresh was pickled in barrels. That gave the region its cabbage soups: Russian shchi, Polish kapuśniak made from sauerkraut, and Hungarian cabbage soups with paprika.

In the Ashkenazi Jewish kitchen cabbage took on a familiar taste, sweet and sour together, as in holishkes, stuffed cabbage. The soup cooked with tomatoes, lemon or sour salt, sugar and sometimes raisins, and on Shabbat and holidays with beef on the bone too. In Israel it is cooked in Polish, Romanian and Russian styles, and in recent years many look it up because of the cabbage soup diet.

What makes Cabbage soup itself

This soup is a balancing act. The cabbage brings sweetness and a gentle bitterness, the tomatoes and lemon bring sourness, and the sugar ties them together. When the balance is right, no single taste stands out and the soup simply tastes good. You strike the balance at the end, by the teaspoon, tasting, because every cabbage and every tomato is different.

Cabbage soup for any number of people

Change the number of people and the bowl size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per bowl.

Bowl size
Units
2.8litres in the pot
4Pot to use, litres
₪16Cost of the pot
₪2.0per bowl
121kcal per bowl
3.3g protein per bowl
IngredientAmountCost
The vegetables
Small white cabbage1 kg · 1 pcs₪4.9
Large onion200 g · 1 pcs₪1.2
Carrots200 g · 2 pcs₪1.0
The base
Canola oil30 ml₪0.5
Tomato paste40 g₪1.4
Crushed tomatoes400 g₪5.0
Water2 l
Bay leaves1 g · 2 pcs₪0.4
The sweet and sour
Fresh lemon juice40 ml₪0.8
Sugar25 g₪0.1
Sweet paprika5 g₪0.4
Salt14 g₪0.0
Black pepper2 g₪0.3
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Cabbage soup? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Cabbage soup has 35 calories per 100 ml. A 350 ml bowl made with our recipe has 121 calories: 3.3 g protein, 4 g fat and 16.5 g carbohydrates. A 250 ml cup has 86 calories.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 1 pcs31 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs10 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs10 kcal per serving
  • 30 ml30 kcal per serving
  • 40 g7 kcal per serving
  • 400 g16 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs0 kcal per serving
  • 40 ml1 kcal per serving
  • 25 g12 kcal per serving
  • 5 g2 kcal per serving
  • 14 g0 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Cabbage soup

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
A tablespoon of oil122013.8
A slice of white bread792.50.5
A slice of challah12641.1

How to make Cabbage soup

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, quarter it, cut out the hard core and slice it into thin strips about a centimetre wide.
  2. Heat the oil in a 6 litre pot and soften the chopped onion for 8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the grated carrot for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato paste and paprika and stir for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the cabbage and stir for 5 minutes, until it softens and shrinks.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to the boil and simmer gently with the lid ajar for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cabbage is soft but not mushy.
  6. Add the sugar and half the lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes more.
  7. Taste and balance: more lemon for sourness, a teaspoon of sugar for sweetness, salt and pepper.
  8. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 10 minutes before serving.

The science of Cabbage soup

Kitchen science

Where the cabbage soup smell comes from

Cabbage cells hold sulphur compounds, among them glucosinolates. Cutting and cooking break them down, and the longer the cooking, the more hydrogen sulphide and other sulphur compounds form, giving the heavy smell of boiled cabbage. Cooking for 25 to 30 minutes at a gentle simmer keeps the cabbage sweet.

Kitchen science

Acid slows softening

Acid strengthens the pectin in the cell walls, so the cabbage stays firm for longer. The tomatoes already add some acid, which is why cabbage in tomato sauce softens more slowly than cabbage in water. The lemon goes in only at the end, once the cabbage is soft.

Kitchen science

How the tongue balances sweet and sour

Sugar dulls the perception of sourness, and acid dulls the perception of sweetness. This mutual suppression is why a single teaspoon of sugar or lemon changes the whole bowl. Salt also dulls bitterness, which is why an undersalted cabbage soup tastes bitter.

Kitchen science

Why the cabbage is sautéed first

In hot oil some of the cabbage's water evaporates and its sugars begin to brown and caramelise. That adds a deep sweetness that boiled cabbage never has. Meanwhile some of the volatile sulphur compounds escape the pot before the simmer.

Cabbage soup in every kitchen

With beef

600 g of beef short ribs or bone-in shank, browned and simmered for an hour and a half in water before the cabbage goes in. A meat version, no sour cream.

Russian shchi

Fresh cabbage or sauerkraut, potatoes and carrot, usually on beef stock. Salty and tangy rather than sweet. Sour cream only in the meatless version.

Polish sauerkraut soup

Sauerkraut with potatoes and carrot, and sometimes smoked meat. Sourer and deeper; the kosher version uses beef sausage.

Hungarian

Plenty of sweet paprika, sometimes sauerkraut and smoked beef sausage. Sour cream only when there is no meat in the pot.

Lazy stuffed cabbage

Balls of minced beef and rice cooked in the sweet and sour soup: all the taste of holishkes without rolling a single leaf.

For the cabbage soup diet

No oil and no sugar, with more vegetables: pepper, celery, tomatoes and spring onion. The soup people look for during the diet week.

Common Cabbage soup problems and how to fix them

The whole house smells of cabbage

The cabbage cooked too long. 25 to 30 minutes is enough, with the lid ajar. Slice it thinly so it softens fast, and do not leave the soup on the heat for hours.

Bitter cabbage soup

The outer leaves and hard core are more bitter, and so is cabbage cooked for a long time. Remove them before cooking, and balance with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar.

Cabbage not softening

The lemon went in early, or the cabbage is old and tough. Cook the cabbage in the sauce until soft, and only then add the lemon.

Cabbage soup too sour

Too much lemon, or very sour tomatoes. Add sugar a teaspoon at a time, or a little water, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Watery, bland cabbage soup

The cabbage was not sautéed, or there is too much water. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, and next time sauté the cabbage and paste before adding liquid.

Storing, freezing and reheating

4 days

In the fridge

3 months

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

Reheat to a gentle simmer only. Long extra cooking deepens the cabbage smell and makes it too soft.

Nutrition of Cabbage soup

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 350 ml bowl1213.34.016.55.7
Our recipe, 100 ml350.91.14.71.6
Typical Cabbage soup, 100 g150.50.12.60.7

What the ingredients of Cabbage soup cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Crushed tomatoes₪12 per kg₪5Supermarket
Small white cabbage₪4.9 per kg₪4.9Greengrocer
Tomato paste₪35 per kg₪1.4Supermarket
Large onion₪5.9 per kg₪1.2Greengrocer
Carrots₪4.9 per kg₪1Greengrocer
Fresh lemon juice₪20 per litre₪0.8Supermarket
Canola oil₪15 per litre₪0.4Supermarket
Sweet paprika₪86 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Bay leaves₪360 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Sugar₪5.5 per kg₪0.1Supermarket
Salt₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Make Cabbage soup a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Cabbage soup

With rye bread or challah, and in the beef version with boiled potatoes on the side. Even better on the second day.

Cabbage soup in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 350 ml bowl. For institutional pots, catering and community kitchens.

GuestsLitres30 l potsCost of ingredients
258.81₪50
50181₪99
100352₪199
200703₪397
5001757₪993

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Cabbage soup

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Cabbage soup

Order Cabbage soup for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

Which cabbage is best for cabbage soup?

Ordinary white cabbage. It softens and turns sweet. Red cabbage works but tints the soup a reddish purple.

How long do you cook cabbage soup?

25 to 30 minutes once the cabbage is in the pot. Enough to soften it, not enough for it to start smelling.

What is the cabbage soup diet?

A well-known one-week eating plan built around a vegetable soup with cabbage, eaten several times a day alongside set foods. The soup here is a home dish. For the diet version, cook it without oil and sugar and add more vegetables such as pepper, celery and tomatoes.

What is the difference between sweet and sour cabbage soup and shchi?

Shchi is the Russian cabbage soup. It is not sweet and sour but salty and tangy, usually on beef stock, and sometimes made with sauerkraut.

How do you stop the house smelling of cabbage?

Do not cook the cabbage for more than half an hour, keep the lid ajar and open a window. Most of the smell comes from long cooking.

Can you freeze cabbage soup?

Yes, for up to three months. The cabbage softens a little after thawing, and the taste stays.

What goes into Polish cabbage soup?

Usually sauerkraut, potatoes and carrot, and sometimes smoked meat. It is sourer than sweet and sour cabbage soup.

How many calories are in Cabbage soup?

A 350 ml bowl of Cabbage soup made with our recipe has about 121 calories and 3.3 g of protein. Per 100 ml: 35 calories.

How much does it cost to make Cabbage soup at home?

A pot of 8 bowls costs about ₪16 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪2 a bowl. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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