Words and brush: Words & Brush Recipe Corner: Spanish Garlic Cabbage Soup

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Words & Brush Recipe Corner: Spanish Garlic Cabbage Soup | Packed with Goodness & EASY to Make

Spanish Garlic Cabbage Soup | Packed with Goodness & EASY to Make

Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork, February 2, 2026

https://spainonafork.com/spanish-garlic-cabbage-soup-recipe/

This Spanish garlic cabbage soup, known as sopa de repollo or sopa de col, is what healthy comfort food is all about. It’s filled with flavors, easy to make, and done in a little over 40 minutes using just one pot. Serve it next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine for a heartwarming meal.

Prep. time 10 minutes, cook time 35 minutes, makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15 ml
1 medium yellow onion (roughly chopped)
8 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
2 celery sticks (thinly sliced)
2 small carrots (finely chopped)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar 15 ml
1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.25 grams
1/4 tsp ground cumin 0.75 grams
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 0.65 grams
1 jar cooked white beans (same as canned) 295 grams / 11 ounces
5 cups vegetable broth 1200 ml
1/2 head green cabbage 1 lbs / 450 grams
sea salt & black pepper
chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

Heat a stockpot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
After a couple of minutes, add in the chopped onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, mix together and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the white wine vinegar, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, and season with salt & pepper, mix together, then add in the jarred white beans (drained) and vegetable broth, raise to a high heat, and give it a mix
In the meantime, remove 2 to 3 of the outer leaves from a head of cabbage, then cut it into 4 evenly sized pieces (I only used half of the head for this recipe; the size of the head I used was 1 kg / 2.20 lbs.), cut off the root, and then cut the cabbage into slices that are 1 cm thick (a little over 1/4 inch), then add the sliced cabbage into a colander and rinse under water
Once the broth comes to a boil, gently add in the sliced cabbage, mix together until well mixed, then place a lid on the stockpot and lower to a low heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is just tender
Transfer into shallow bowls and garnish with chopped chives, enjoy!