Description

This Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is a hearty, comforting dish perfect for chilly days or St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Packed with tender corned beef, fresh vegetables, and flavorful seasonings, this soup combines simple ingredients in a nutritious and warming broth. Ready in under an hour, it’s a satisfying meal that delivers traditional flavors with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Vegetables

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 ½ cups sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
1 ½ cups sliced celery (about 3 stalks)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
4 cups chopped cabbage (about 1 inch pieces – approximately ½ of a small head)
2 cups red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces (about ½ pound)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Proteins and Broth

3 cups fully cooked shredded or cubed corned beef
8 cups low sodium beef broth

Seasonings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (more or less, to taste)
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste)

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Instructions

Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a 6-quart dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions turn translucent.
Add garlic and caraway seeds: Stir in the minced fresh garlic and caraway seeds. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant but not browned.
Combine broth and main ingredients: Pour in the low sodium beef broth and add the fully cooked shredded or cubed corned beef, chopped cabbage, bite-sized potatoes, bay leaves, and black pepper. Stir everything together to combine well.
Simmer the soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 30 to 35 minutes until the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately for a warm, comforting meal.

Notes

Use low sodium beef broth to control the salt level, especially important when using pre-cooked corned beef which can be salty.
You can adjust the amount of caraway seeds according to your taste preference or omit if you dislike the flavor.
For a thicker soup, lightly mash some of the potatoes while simmering.
Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and taste even better the next day once the flavors meld.
This soup freezes well; cool completely before freezing and reheat gently on the stovetop.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 42 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Irish-American