Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup is a super simple slow cooker soup recipe that is perfect for back to school!
The Story
Although I may not have loved it when I was younger, one of the most nostalgic meals I can think of from my childhood is kielbasa and cabbage. It was one of my dads staple dinners. And I'm pretty sure all those nights eating cabbage and smoked meats have something to do with my love for cabbage, sauerkraut, and even sausage as an adult.
That said, I don't think I have ever made kielbasa and cabbage on my own. Like a lot of the dishes my parents made growing up, it seems intimidating to try to recreate this dish and live up to its memory. I've never asked my dad for the recipe. But I'm almost positive he would give me estimates of everything, as it was something he just made off the top of his head. To me, that makes it even more intimidating.
Jennie-O - bingo!
When Jennie-O wanted me to create a recipe using their Turkey Kielbasa, I obviously immediately thought of the kielbasa and cabbage dish from my childhood. Since I wasn't fond of trying to recreate it exactly, I did the next best thing I could think of, which was to turn it into soup. Bingo!
This soup was everything I had in mind and more. The ingredients are super simple but lend to a really flavorful soup. This brought me right back to my family's dinner table. It pretty much felt like a big hug in the form of soup.
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup
Along with being super delicious, this Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup is also very simple. It's basically a dump and set slow cooker recipe. Aside from making the roux at the end for some extra creaminess. But if you want to skip the part of making the roux and just add a can of cream of celery soup instead, that would work just as well! I, for one, didn't mind the extra step, but I can imagine multiple situations when it might be a hassle.
One last note about the recipe - you may think that 3 cups of broth isn't enough when cooking the soup but trust me. The cabbage will release a ton of liquid and then the roux at the end will make it more soup-like.
If you're a fan of cabbage, this recipe is a must make. This recipe makes a ton which make for perfect lunch leftovers, and I personally thought it was even better the next day!
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 head green cabbage chopped
- 1 white onion diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 lb Jennie-O Turkey Kielbasa
- 2 cans Northern white beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the roux:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups milk I used whole milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all soup ingredients (not roux ingredients) in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- To make the roux:
- In a medium pot, melt butter.
- Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add flour and stir to combine, and let cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk and broth, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a simmer then lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent bottom from burning.
- Add roux to slow cooker for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was sponsored by Jennie-O, however all opinions are my own!
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This soup was delicious! The hardest part was preparing the roux, but I know it made it so much better than the other option of a can of cream of celery soup. Followed everything as printed except did not add additional salt.
So happy to hear this, Judith!
Could I use all broth instead of half broth & half milk??
Hi Barb,
I think that would work well!