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german savoy cabbage soup with ground meat and potatoes in a small, green serving saucepan.
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4.66 from 26 votes

German Savoy Cabbage Soup

This Savoy cabbage soup is a simple winter recipe I often make at home, with cabbage, potatoes, ground beef and pork, and bacon.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: German
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 381kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or another soup pot

Ingredients

  • 1 lb savoy cabbage Note 1
  • 1 lb potatoes
  • 2.5 oz smoked streaky bacon preferably one thicker piece, Note 2
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 lb ground meat half beef, half pork, Note 3
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon hot paprika not smoked, Note 4
  • 8 ½ cups beef or vegetable broth
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • a small bunch of chives
  • a small bunch of parsley
  • crème fraiche or sour cream or smetana to serve, optional
US - EU

Instructions

  • Chop the ingredients: Chop the Savoy cabbage into small pieces. Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Chop the bacon and the onion finely as well. Keep them separated.
    1 lb savoy cabbage + 1 lb potatoes + 2.5 oz smoked streaky bacon + 1 onion
  • Saute: Heat the oil in the pot. Add the bacon and the onion to the pot and let them cook until the onion is translucent and some of the bacon fat has rendered.
    1 tablespoon oil + bacon + onion
  • Add ground meat and cook until brown, stirring and breaking the lumps in between.
    1 lb ground meat
  • Add spices: Add both kinds of ground paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir well.
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon hot paprika
  • Add the savoy cabbage, potatoes, and beef or vegetable broth to the soup pot. Stir well, cover, leaving a small crack open, and let cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
    cabbage + potatoes + 8 ½ cups beef
  • Adjust the taste with salt and generously with freshly ground black pepper, you really want to feel the pepper taste.
    fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Serve: Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and/or parsley and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, if desired. The soup can be reheated; it tastes even better the next day.
    a small bunch of chives + a small bunch of parsley + crème fraiche

Notes

  1. Savoy cabbage: 1 lb (450 g) cabbage equals roughly half a small to medium Savoy cabbage.
  2. Bacon: I used bacon cubes; a thick slab of bacon, regular bacon, or pancetta works just as well if cut into small pieces.
  3. Ground meat: I use half pork, half beef most of the time, but you can use only pork or only beef. For a leaner soup, ground turkey works too.
  4. Paprika: Smoked paprika isn’t usual in German cooking. Use hot paprika, or add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes for heat.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the soup | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1570mg | Potassium: 942mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1091IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg