Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sausage is a tasty low-carb soup that’s easy to make and this is especially good topped with Parmesan cheese!
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I love this Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sausage! And I really hope no one has flashbacks of the old Cabbage Soup Diet when they hear the name of the recipe, because this tasty soup is a delicious soup recipe that’s healthy and low in carbs, but you certainly won’t think about being on a diet when you’re eating it.
My cabbage soup is loaded with flavor from tomatoes, beef stock, seasonings, and Chicken-Garlic sausage (or your favorite garlicky sausage), and it gets even better if you top it with a spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
And best of all, if you do a little chopping the night before, this is one of those “throw in the slow cooker and cook all day” kinds of recipes that so many people love. When you get home, just brown the sausage, add to the soup and cook on high for 30-45 minutes more, and dinner is ready!
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What ingredients do you need?
- cabbage
- onion
- celery
- petite dice tomatoes
- beef stock
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- ground fennel (affiliate link)
- black pepper
- Chicken-Garlic Sausage
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
What kind of sausage can you use for this recipe?
This is the fourth recipe I’ve made with Sabatinos Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella, Artichokes and Garlic, and just in case anyone is wondering, Sabatinos certainly haven’t paid me to promote their sausage. I’m infatuated with this sausage at the moment, but if you can’t find this brand use any garlicky sausage that has good flavor.
Do you have to brown the sausage?
I highly recommend you don’t skip the step of browning the sausage; that adds so much flavor.
Want More Tasty Soups with Cabbage:
Check out Low-Carb and Keto Soups with Cabbage for lots more tasty ideas for using nutritious cabbage in a tasty soup!
How to Make Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sausage:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe, including nutritional information.)
- You’ll need about a pound of chopped cabbage.
- Also chop up a medium onion and about 1 cup of celery. I prefer my soup veggies chopped on the small side, but it will work even if you like them a little bigger.
- Put the cabbage, onion, celery, petite diced tomatoes, beef stock, and spices in the slow cooker and cook all day on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- Here’s how the soup will look after you’ve cooked it that long.
- Then slice sausages into thin slices and brown then well.
- Add the sausage to the slow cooker (and turn to high if you were cooking on low) and cook for 30-45 minutes more.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese if desired
Who else is a fan of sausage?
Check out Sausage Recipes to see all the recipes on this site that use sausage.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped cabbage (see notes)
- 1 onion, chopped small
- 1 cup celery, diced small
- two 14.5 oz. cans petite dice tomatoes (see notes)
- 6 cups beef stock (see notes)
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. ground fennel
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 6 links Chicken-Garlic Sausage
- 2 tsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the cabbage, onion, and celery and place in the slow cooker. (If you’re making this to cook while you’re at work I would chop those the night before and store in the fridge in a plastic bag.)
- Add the 2 cans of tomatoes, Homemade beef stock or you can use canned beef broth if you don’t have it.), dried thyme (affiliate link), ground fennel (affiliate link), and black pepper to the slow cooker.
- Cook 8-9 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- When you get home, or when the cabbage is well-softened if you’re cooking on high, slice the sausage into pieces about 1/4 inch thick.
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan and cook over medium-high heat until the sausage is nicely browned. (You might need to do this in 2 batches if you use 6 sausages.)
- Add the well-browned sausage to the soup, turn to high if you were cooking on low, and cook 30-45 minutes more.
- Serve hot, with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Six cups cabbage is about one pound. You can use only one can of tomatoes if you want to reduce the carbs even more. Homemade beef stock is best, but you can use canned beef broth if you prefer. Use any garlicky sausage that has good flavor.
I used a 5-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, but it could have been a little smaller.
Recipe created by Kalyn when she became infatuated with Sabatinos Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella, Artichokes and Garlic, but use any garlicky sausage you prefer for this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 224Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 448mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 22g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sausage is great for low-carb diets, and this is also a great recipe for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Cabbage Soup with Sausage was first posted in 2013. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2021.
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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