Creamy Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe (Keto)

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!

 

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 cleanup 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 it 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 be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can even use frozen leftovers of our honey glazed 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

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 the 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.

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.

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!

 

 

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