Vegan Nordic-Style Creamy Cabbage Soup Recipe
Since the earliest days of people farming and cooking, cabbage soup has been considered an inexpensive staple that could be concocted from a variety of meager ingredients. Although in the U.S., cabbage soup does not share the same classic soup status as chicken noodle or tomato, it remains a versatile and nutritious canvas with an impressive global heritage and endless upgrade possibilities. My vegan Nordic-style creamy cabbage soup recipe is rooted in my own Scandinavian heritage and filled with ingredients that bring out the best of this humble cruciferous leafy vegetable.
First, I charred common green cabbage in a Dutch oven to add a smokiness to its mild flavor. I simmered half of this cabbage with Yukon Gold potatoes, cannellini beans, leeks, garlic, and vegetable stock. The soup is seasoned with a complex mix of caraway, cardamom, and allspice. I blended the soup to silky smoothness, and then added the remaining charred cabbage for texture as well as white miso for a punch of umami richness. Fresh dill sprigs, vegan rye croutons, and zesty pickled mustard seeds crown the creamy cabbage soup like jewels.
The tender potatoes and canned beans add so much velvety texture to this soup once pureed, mimicking the creaminess of a dairy-enriched product. Adding a bit of the chopped and charred cabbage into the soup at the end gives it just the right amount of bite and a heartiness that feels like a meal-in-a-bowl.
Gather the vegan Nordic-style creamy cabbage soup ingredients
One of the most delightful and delicious aspects of this vegan Nordic-style creamy cabbage soup is the pickled mustard seed topping. For this easy pickled preparation, you will need mild yellow mustard seeds, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and a bit of sea salt. The vinegar and syrup add just the right balance of tangy sweetness. Next, you need a medium head of green cabbage to chop up and char in your pot with a bit of olive oil. You will then "sweat" some leeks in the covered pot by allowing them to slowly soften without browning. You will then need fresh garlic, caraway seeds, ground cardamom, and ground allspice, which will "bloom" in the fat and heat in the pot to bring out their flavors and aromas. White vermouth is used to both deglaze the pot and add some botanical essence, before we add diced Yukon Gold potatoes, rinsed and drained canned cannellini beans, and vegetable stock. You will need white miso paste and white pepper to whisk in at the end of cooking, and fresh dill to both stir into the soup and to add a verdant garnish. Add a few crunchy vegan rye croutons or cracker crumbs for some extra texture and Nordic flair.
Step 1: Start making the pickled mustard seeds
In a small saucepan, combine the mustard seeds, 3 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt.
Step 2: Simmer until plump
Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for about 12 minutes until plump, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
Step 4: Add the cabbage
Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes without stirring until charred in spots.
Step 5: Turn the cabbage
Turn the cabbage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 6: Set the cabbage aside
Transfer the cabbage to a plate.
Step 7: Add the leeks to the Dutch oven
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the leeks to the Dutch oven over low heat.
Step 8: Sweat the leeks
Cover the pot and allow the leeks to "sweat" for 5 minutes.
Step 9: Add the garlic and spices
Uncover the pot, increase the heat to medium, and add the garlic, caraway, cardamom, allspice, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
Step 10: Cook and stir until fragrant
Cook and stir for 1 minute until the spices are very fragrant.
Step 11: Deglaze the pan
Deglaze the pan with the vermouth, scraping up the browned bits, and allow the liquid to reduce completely.
Step 12: Add the potatoes, beans, stock, and half of the charred cabbage
Add ½ of the charred cabbage to the pot, along with the potatoes, beans, and vegetable stock.
Step 13: Bring to a boil
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.
Step 14: Simmer until the potatoes are soft
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
Step 15: Whisk the miso paste with warm water
Whisk together the miso and ⅓ cup warm water in a small bowl until smooth.
Step 16: Puree the soup
Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the Dutch oven until completely smooth.
Step 17: Whisk in the miso and remaining vinegar
Whisk in the miso mixture and the remaining apple cider vinegar.
Step 18: Stir in the remaining cabbage, seasonings, and dill
Over low heat, stir in the reserved cabbage, chopped dill, white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt.
Step 19: Garnish and serve the soup
Serve the creamy cabbage soup in shallow bowls garnished with the rye croutons, dill sprigs, and a spoonful of the pickled mustard seeds.
What can I serve with cabbage soup?
Vegan Nordic-Style Creamy Cabbage Soup Recipe
With charred cabbage, potatoes, beans, and plenty of bold Nordic-inspired flavors, this creamy vegan soup is hearty, delicious, and comforting.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds coarsely chopped green cabbage (1 medium head)
- 2 medium leeks, trimmed and cleaned, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch slices
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ cup dry white vermouth
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Vegan rye croutons or cracker crumbs, for garnish
- Dill sprigs, for garnish
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine the mustard seeds, 3 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt.
- Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for about 12 minutes until plump, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
- Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes without stirring until charred in spots.
- Turn the cabbage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cabbage to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the leeks to the Dutch oven over low heat.
- Cover the pot and allow the leeks to “sweat” for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pot, increase the heat to medium, and add the garlic, caraway, cardamom, allspice, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
- Cook and stir for 1 minute until the spices are very fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan with the vermouth, scraping up the browned bits, and allow the liquid to reduce completely.
- Add ½ of the charred cabbage to the pot, along with the potatoes, beans, and vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Whisk together the miso and ⅓ cup warm water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the Dutch oven until completely smooth.
- Whisk in the miso mixture and the remaining apple cider vinegar.
- Over low heat, stir in the reserved cabbage, chopped dill, white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt.
- Serve the creamy cabbage soup in shallow bowls garnished with the rye croutons, dill sprigs, and a spoonful of the pickled mustard seeds.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 324 |
| Total Fat | 8.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 52.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 9.7 g |
| Sodium | 763.5 mg |
| Protein | 10.9 g |
What makes this cabbage soup Nordic-style?
Nordic cuisine draws stylistic elements from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and the surrounding islands. There is a rich culinary heritage from these geographical areas that relies on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients that are prepared with minimal treatment to preserve the natural flavors. In my travels with my family to these areas, I have always appreciated the reverence for "simple" ingredients, such as tubers, grains, and foraged greens, herbs, mushrooms, and berries. Spices like caraway, cardamom, and allspice are typical ingredients in both Nordic baked goods and savory preparations, and at one time indicated holiday or celebratory fare, as such spices were not an everyday luxury as they are now.
It was quite straightforward to make a vegan version of this creamy cabbage soup, as all of the emphasis is put on the plant components. Cabbage has historically been used frequently in Nordic cooking, as it can grow in harsh, cold climates and was easy to store in colder months. Potatoes are the backbone of Nordic cuisine for similar reasons, and the most beloved ingredient of many Scandinavian families. Pickling is a common practice for food preservation, and the flavor that pickled vegetables add to dishes gives them a brightness and characteristic sweet-sour flavor often found in Nordic dishes.
What could I use in place of the vermouth in this soup recipe? Are there other substitutions I could make?
Vermouth is a type of fortified wine that also has a wonderful botanical component. Although vermouth is typically used in cocktails or as an aperitif, I love using it in cooking for the flavor that it imparts. This vegan Nordic-style creamy cabbage soup specifically calls for dry, white vermouth. If you use the sweeter red variety, it will create an off-flavor. To keep the soup vegan, you also need to use a vermouth that has not been "fined" or clarified by using egg whites (a common procedure used in wine-making to remove impurities). The Dolin brand pictured above in the ingredients list is vegan-friendly and well-suited for this recipe.
If you don't have vermouth on hand, there are a couple of substitutes that will still work well in this recipe. Dry white wines, such as a pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, or grüner veltliner, have flavor profiles that will pair well in your soup, and would be perfect for sipping while enjoying the finished product! If you want to avoid using a product with alcohol, you can simply deglaze your pot with some additional vegetable stock.
As for other possible substitutions in this recipe, you could use yellow onions in place of the leeks, and red or russet potatoes could be added to the mix. Tarragon is an anise-flavored herb that could take the place of dill, and you can experiment with other cabbage varieties, such as Savoy or Dew Drop.