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Home > Quick & Easy > Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe (Keto)

Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe (Keto)

September 30, 2020 by Denise Browning 1 Comment / THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY _FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY_ FOR DETAILS

Gluten FreeKeto

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Keto Ham and cabbage soup

This Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup recipe makes a thick and hearty keto meal that is perfect for cooler fall weather. It’s loaded with vegetables and is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover ham. If you’re looking for other low carb soup recipes, you have got to try my Norwegian fish soup and cabbage soup diet recipe next!

ham and cabbage soup in a bowl

 

Reasons to Love this Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe

There are so many different reasons to love this dish besides the taste.

  1. One-Pot: One-pot meals can usually be made in much less time than a recipe involving several complicated steps. They are perfect for busy weeknights when you’re pressed for time.
  2. Easy to Prepare: There are different ways you can make this soup. You can prepare it on the stovetop and also in an Instant Pot or a CrockPot. Curious about how does a pressure cooker work? Get our cooking time charts!
  3. Mess-Free: Meals prepared in one pot have much less clean up after dinner. That means, you only have one pot and a few utensils to wash rather than a sinkful of pots and pans.
  4. Budget-friendly: The ingredients in this recipe are low-cost. Plus, you can easily replace with what you have on hand. Further, it reheats well which lets you serve it for another meal in the future. It’s a great way to use up leftover ham– just like our ham and cheese baked rice and our broccoli, ham, and cheese pop tarts.
  5. Good for you: This Ham and Cabbage Soup is one of my favorite healthy meals. It’s keto, low-carb, and gluten-free! For a dairy-free version, use a plant-based milk such as soy milk that has more of a neutral flavor.
  6. Freezer-friendly: Just like our slow cooker ham, it’s one of those easy freezer meals that can keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can even use frozen leftovers of our honey baked ham in this recipe.

 

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Ham – Substitute sausage or chicken if you don’t have ham.
  • Olive oil – You can use vegetable oil instead if you like.
  • Onion
  • Cabbage – use either green or purple cabbage
  • Celery – Leave out or replace vegetables based on what you have.
  • Carrots
  • Broth – Use bouillon instead of broth if you need to.
  • Salt and pepper – You can use a no salt blend if you are watching your sodium.
  • Cauliflower – if you are not on a keto diet, you may use cooked potatoes, making a ham, cabbage, and potato soup. 
  • Half-and-half – Heavy cream or milk work well instead. 
  • Green onions — You may use any fresh herb of your choice such as cilantro, parsley, or dill. 

How to thicken a soup without flour or cornstarch

When making this creamy cabbage soup recipe, you will need to thicken the broth to give it a creamy consistency. Ours is thickened with a low carb veggie (cauliflower) blended with half-and-half for a keto version.

As an alternative, konjac rice is a keto-friendly rice that is loaded with fiber but low in net carbs. Just toss in a handful to help thicken your broth.

Or, for a creamy consistency without thickening the broth, you can add half a can of coconut milk or coconut cream.

How to make ham and cabbage soup

a three photo collage showing how to make ham and cabbage soup

  1. Heat a dutch pan over medium heat, add oil and saute onion, carrot, and celery until onion is tender (about 4 minutes). SEE PIC. 1 Add ham, cabbage, broth, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. SEE PIC. 2 Cover and let it simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
  2. Meanwhile, blend the cooked cauliflower with half-and-half until smooth, about 1 minute. Add blended mixture to the cooked veggies in the pan, stir well, and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. SEE PIC. 3
  3. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve with chopped green onions on top.

bowl of soup with spoon on the side and a napkin under

Crockpot Ham and Cabbage Soup

To make this meal in your slow cooker, follow these directions.

  1. Layer the ingredients in your crockpot starting with the cabbage.
  2. Pour the broth over the top and add seasonings.
  3. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
  4. Pour in the cream and blended cauliflower mixture and heat for 30 minutes.
  5. Stir and serve.

Instant Pot Ham and Cabbage Soup

  1. Press the sauté button and let it heat. Add oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery until onion is tender (about 3 minutes). Place the cabbage, vegetables, and ham in your Instant Pot.
  2. Sprinkle on your seasonings. Pour the broth over the top. Seal the lid and turn the valve. 
  3. Set your pressure cooker or Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. After 5 minutes, allow for a natural release for 10 minutes, followed by releasing the rest of the pressure.
  5. Add the cream that you blended with the cauliflower and stir. Serve and enjoy.

 

Cooking Tips

  • Cut all of the veggies into similar sizes when possible, so that they cook at the same rate. But I made mine mainly with large chunks for a heartier soup.
  • I use chicken broth, but you can also make it with vegetable broth.
  • This soup keeps in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, which makes it perfect for meal prep.
  • To keep it keto, use any low carb veggies of your choice.
  • Use any leftover protein that you have handy in order to save money.

close up of soup being spooned

Variations

  • Protein: Try this soup with shredded chicken, smoked sausage, ground beef or turkey, or extra lean ground meat. If you prefer a vegetarian version, you leave the animal protein out and use beans, for example. Or, you can keep the soup as it is and just add beans, making a ham and cabbage soup with beans.  
  • Starches: Add some potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, pasta, or beans to the soup if you are not on a low carb diet.
  • Vegetables: You can use your veggies of choice for this soup.  Some great options include zucchini, squash, broccoli, mushrooms, leeks, and spinach… and all of them work well on a keto diet.

Make ahead and storage

You can easily make my ham and cabbage soup ahead of time and reheat it when it’s time for dinner. It will stay good for 3 to 5 days in a container with a tightly fitting lid.

Or, if you simply want to save prep time, chop all of the veggies and meat and place them in separate containers in the fridge.

If you want to freeze this dish, it’s best to freeze it before you add the cream to the base. Soups that are dairy-based often separate when it comes time to reheat them.

PIN & ENJOY!

 

close up of a dish with ham, sausage, and vegetables

 

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hama nd cabbage soup in a bowl
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe

This Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup recipe makes a thick and hearty keto meal that is perfect for cooler fall weather. It's loaded with vegetables and is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover ham.
Course:Entree
Cuisine:American
Keywords:ham and cabbage soup, soup recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories311 kcal
Author Denise Browning
Cost $ 0.75 per person

Equipment

  • Dutch Pan or Instant Pot or Crockpot
  • cutting board
  • knife

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 1 lb ham cubed or chopped (or other protein of your choice)
  • 5 cups chopped cabbage about 1/2 dead
  • 3 cups broth chicken or vegetable
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 oz frozen cauliflower cooked
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half or milk (or soy milk for a dairy-free version)
  • 2 tbsp green onion chopped (or another herb)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • STOVETOP: Heat a dutch pan over medium heat, add oil and saute onion, carrot, and celery until onion is tender (about 4 minutes). Add ham, cabbage, broth, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let it simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
  • Meanwhile, blend the cooked cauliflower with half-and-half until smooth, about 1 minute. Add blended mixture to the cooked veggies in the pan, stir well, and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve with chopped green onions on top.
  • CROCKPOT: Layer the ingredients in your crockpot starting with the cabbage. Pour the broth over the top and add seasonings. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Pour in the cream and blended cauliflower mixture and heat for 30 minutes. Stir and serve.
  • INSTANT POT: Press the sauté button and let it heat. Add oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery until onion is tender (about 3 minutes). Place the cabbage, vegetables, and ham in your Instant Pot.
  • Sprinkle on your seasonings. Pour the broth over the top. Seal the lid and turn the valve. Set your pressure cooker or Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, allow for a natural release for 10 minutes, followed by releasing the rest of the pressure. Add the cream that you blended with the cauliflower and stir. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead and storage
You can easily make my ham and cabbage soup ahead of time and reheat it when it's time for dinner. It will stay good for 3 to 5 days in a container with a tightly fitting lid.
Or, if you simply want to save prep time, chop all of the veggies and meat and place them in separate containers in the fridge.
If you want to freeze this dish, it's best to freeze it before you add the cream to the base. Soups that are dairy-based often separate when it comes time to reheat them.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 1416mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2133IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

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Filed Under: American Recipes, Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less, Gluten-Free, Keto, Low Carb Meals, One Pot Meals, Pressure Cooker, Quick & Easy, Slow Cooker, Weeknight Meals/Dinner Tagged With: low carb meals

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Comments

  1. Raymund

    October 6, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    I will do anything for a good soup like this 🙂

    Reply

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I'm a professional Chef with an expertise in Brazilian food. I am also a busy mom of two girls, living in Texas. Here you will find budget-friendly, healthy Brazilian and Global Recipes made Easy and Delish! I'd love to help you feed your family healthy dinners (many low carb) with a few splurges because life is all about balance! Join our community and happy cooking!

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