A hearty slow cooker soup with potato, white beans and cabbage that simmers all day and fills the house with warmth and the smell of smoky kielbasa, anise seed and rosemary. The best way to warm up during the coldest part of the winter.
The sound of an armload of fire wood falling into the woodbox, the roar of the plow trucks trundling up the frozen dirt road, the squeak of the snow under our boots as we head to the end of the driveway for the bus, the rumble of the electric kettle coming up to a boil and then clicking off, these are the sounds of and early morning in the dead of a Vermont winter.
These were the sounds of my house this morning.
And then there is the stillness once they are all gone for the day. It is almost deafening. The gentle ticking of the wood burning stove as it cranks up to temperature. The gentle hum of my laptop as I sit down at my desk still wearing my down jacket. My nose is like an icicle.
It is days like this when, if you let it, the cold will seep inside and chill you to the core. You just wont be able to shake it.
This mean soup today. More specifically, one that I can start in the morning, and I can enjoy all day. I plug in the slow cooker, and wait for the condensation to collect inside the lid. The heavenly smell of the smoky kielbasa simmering with the rosemary and anise seed fills the house and begins the thawing process.
When they all return home this evening, I’ll ladle it into bowls, top them with croutons and shredded cheese. This is the soup that will get us through these short days, and cold winter nights.
Back to Basics
Packing your own lunch saves money and calories. Soup is a healthy and filling lunch. This soup gives you 4 grams of fiber , 11 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein to help you stay satisfied and full longer. This soup recipe makes 12 cups, which should give you some lovely left-overs.
QUESTIONS:
What are the sounds of winter like in your house?
Do you use your slow cooker if you are home all day?
If you work outside the home, do you bring your own lunch?
Don’t miss this Ultimate Guide to Cabbage!
Print
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print
PinDescription
This hearty cold weather soup will warm you up from the inside. It is so satisfying because it has kielbasa, potatoes, white beans and cabbage. The flavor of rosemary and anise seed will smell so good as it simmers all day. And there will be some for lunch the next day too.
Ingredients
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon anise seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 14-ounce can cannellini beans or white beans, drained and rinsed
- 12-ounces small potatoes, cut in half
- 7 ounces kielbasa, cut into half moons
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 1 cup shredded cheese such as Gruyere, Swiss or Cabot Alpine Cheddar
- 1 cup croutons, optional (gluten-free if desired)
Instructions
- Whisk broth, water, rosemary, anise, salt and pepper in a large slow cooker. Add onion, beans, potatoes, kielbasa and cabbage and stir to combine. Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low heat for 8 hours. Top with cheese and crotons if using.
Notes
42 mg Cholesterol, 0 g Added Sugar
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 17 g
Here are some more soups you may enjoy:
Carrot Ginger Soup with Oregano Croutons
Cream of Mushroom Soup with Walnut Lentil Pate Crostini
Potato and Kale Soup with Andouille
Slow Cooker Barley Soup with Spinach Pistou
Girlfriend, you have some writing skillz! I could almost feel myself at your house in the morning!
And this soup is totally what I want for dinner tonight. We’re are MAJOR Kielbasa fans, so this perfecto. Pinned!
I love kielbasa too. I only wish it had about a quarter of the calories that it does. We had the rest of the package in a frittata tonight. It is so rich, almost like a condiment. A meaty condiment that is… Thanks for your appreciation of the writing. I like to flex my writing muscles occasionally. I never know when the mood will strike. Stay warm my friend.
I can barely believe it myself, but I just got my first slow cooker and am finally getting around to using it! Hence, pinning every damn tasty slow cooker recipe I can find, and this totally qualifies 😉
Prepare to have so much fun. And I am a big fan of the recipes that rely on really flavorful ingredients, and or searing of meat/ caramelizing of vegetables before the slow-cooker goes into action. Enjoy!
Sounds like healthy.All love it for sure.
Thank you Cady. It was yummy, and I particularly loved the left-overs for lunch. Have a great day.
I want to make every one of these soups! Making this tomorrow: slow cooker kielbasa, cabbage and potato soup. My guys are going to love it. ~Wendy / Cabot
Yay! So glad they appeal to you, and I hope you enjoy this one.
This totally looks like a big bowl of comforting goodness! Love how hearty it is!
I made this yesterday and it was perfect for a cold winter day. I’m normally not a big fan of cabbage, but it went really well in this recipe.
My son was sick a few days ago and this cabbage soup recipe really helped him feel stronger. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe
Hi Katie,
Many thanks for the cabbage article, very informative!
Do you think this soup would freeze ok?
Many thanks 🙂
Thanks so much for saying so about the produce guide. I really am enjoying the process of working on them, as I am learning so much myself! As for this soup, it does freeze just fine. I’ve done it! But the potatoes really need to be completely reheated before serving once you thaw it out, or they can seem a bit mealy. I hope you enjoy it Dee.