Ham and Cabbage Soup
A no-fuss crockpot ham and cabbage soup recipe using fresh cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and smoked ham.
With Fall approaching Kim and I have been working on some heartier dishes to share.
For today’s recipe, we’re sharing my slow-cooker ham and cabbage soup.
It’s a super easy dump and go recipe that uses fresh ingredients to create a savory, warm soup.
For my version, I like to use an apple smoked ham. Applewood has a nice flavor that pairs well with cabbage and pork.
Now, you could use bacon, but I don’t recommend tossing it into the crockpot raw, unless you enjoy soft, chewy bacon.
How to make crockpot ham and cabbage soup?
First, chop the ham and wash and core the cabbage. You want to remove that tough inner core from the vegetable.
Also, go ahead and give the cabbage a rough chop. Dice the onions, carrots, celery and mince the garlic.
Next, add the ham, cabbage, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, broth (or water), bay leaves, salt, and pepper to the cooker.
In regards to the liquid (water or broth), you do have 2 options. For more information, please refer to the tips section.
Then, cover the soup and let it cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
Keep an eye on the soup while it cooks, if you need to add more liquid, go ahead and do so.
Last, remove the lid and taste test the veggies. If the cabbage and carrots are soft, then the dish is finished.
That’s it, your slow-cooker ham and cabbage soup recipe is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy it and wish you all the best 🙂
Recipe Tips:
- Once the video is uploaded, you’ll notice we added liquid twice. That’s because not everyone has a massive crockpot. Kim started with about 4-cups of liquid, let the soup cook down a little, and added more during the cooking process. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may have to do this as well.
- Applewood smoked ham isn’t always easy (or cheap) to come by. In a pinch you could use regular pre-cooked ham and add a little something extra. Wash, peel, core, and dice an apple. Toss that into the cooker to add an apple flavor to the soup.
- This dish can be high in sodium, but you do have a few options. For example, buy low-sodium ham and low-sodium broth; or use water in place of the broth.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves before serving the soup. Nobody wants to bite into an inedible, dried spice.
Other soup recipes you may love:
Ingredients
- 1 pound ham, pre-cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head of cabbage, core removed and rough chopped
- ½ cup carrots, sliced
- ½ cup white onion, sliced
- ¼ cup celery, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth, water, or a combination of both
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients, except broth, in a 7-quart slow cooker. Pour 3 to 4 cups of broth into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2 hours.1 pound ham1 head of cabbage½ cup carrots½ cup white onion¼ cup celery3 garlic cloves2 bay leaves¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Remove the lid, stir, and check to see how much liquid is in the soup (will vary depending on how much liquid the cabbage releases). Add additional broth or water to just barely cover the ingredients. We used about 10 cups total (including the 3 to 4 cups in the first step). Stir to combine.
- Add the lid, and continue to cook for an additional 2 to 3 hours on high or 3 to 5 hours on low. Stir occasionally.
- The soup is finished when the vegetables and cabbage are tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and enjoy hot. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can I add potatoes to this soup ?
Hi Debbie!
Yes, absolutely! I’d recommend cutting the potatoes into small, bite-sized pieces to be sure they cook all the way through. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
Going to try this recipe as is and also a batch replacing the ham with Polska kielbasa. Thank you for sharing!
Good Morning Barb, glad to hear it. If you get the chance, can you please let us know how the recipe turns out using the kielbasa? Have a lovely day 🙂