Caramelized Cabbage and Onion Soup With Cheesy Croutons

By Sue Li

Updated January 26, 2026

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Ready In
1 hr 10 min
Rating
5(202)
Comments
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This rich and hearty, pantry-leaning vegetarian soup is built on layers of flavor: Sweet caramelized cabbage and onions provide the base, complemented by the subtle acidity of tomato paste and wine. The liquid from canned cannellini beans adds texture and body, while a Parmesan rind in the simmering broth contributes savory, nutty complexity. Fresh garlic, added at the end, provides a vibrant kick that brightens this satisfying soup.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

  • 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced into ½-inch strips

  • 1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces), halved and sliced ¼-inch thick

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste 

  • ½ cup dry white wine

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans white cannellini beans 

  • 1 Parmesan rind (about 4 inches)

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 garlic cloves, divided 

  • 3 thin slices sourdough or country bread, cut into ½-inch cubes 

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

35 grams carbs; 36 milligrams cholesterol; 321 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 720 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

    1. Step 1

      Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven (or other heavy pot) over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foamy, add half of the cabbage and onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and reduced in volume, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining cabbage and onions and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage mixture is very soft and browned, about 25 minutes. 

    2. Step 2

      Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns dark and rust-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another 1 minute. 

    3. Step 3

      Add the beans and their liquid, plus the Parmesan rind and 6 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors deepen, 15 to 20 minutes. 

    4. Step 4

      Turn off the heat, stir in the soy sauce and grate in 1 clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    5. Step 5

      While the soup is simmering, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and toast, tossing frequently until the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, 5 to 6 minutes. 

    6. Step 6

      Transfer the toasted bread to a medium bowl, add the parsley and cheese, grate in the remaining clove of garlic, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  

    7. Step 7

      Serve the soup with the croutons on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
202 user ratings
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Comments

KWH

Don't let the relatively humble ingredients fool you. This soup is delicious! Do not be tempted to rush the caramelization process. It's where most of the flavor comes from -- much like onion soup -- so turn the heat down and let the cabbage and onions brown slowly. The only change I made was to substitute vegetable stock for the water. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly, and the result was great.

Sam

Absolutely delicious. Definitely a winner. Excellent depth of flavor especially for the time/difficulty level. One word of caution: the soy sauce and bean juice both bring a fair bit of salt, so be careful when salting the cabbage/onion mixture in the first step

Neil Gallagher

The serving and nutritional information here, as in many NYT recipes, could be more useful: how large is a serving if it serves six, and how large if it’s eight? And do the nutritional numbers apply to six or eight.

Jenna M

This is delicious, with perfectly balanced flavors reminiscent of old world country cooking. I made it just as written except I used about three tablespoons of butter in total and substituted olive oil for the rest. Do note that it took much longer to caramelize the onion and cabbage than the recipe says - in a large Dutch oven on medium, it took me well over an hour and could have gone longer to get a deeper color.

SusieQ

Truly scrumptious! But not easy on the tummy!

Biddyson

It took way longer than the time suggested to caramelize the cabbage and onion. It was a big volume, and that took time too. In the text it doesn't say caramelize the cabbage and onion, I am glad I read the title and made sure to caramelize them. It makes so much difference if you actually caramelize them in the flavor. The Parmesan rind was worth effort. It took me maybe 2 hours or more. Has a deep flavor, tasty.

David

@Biddyson isn’t that always the case with onions and cabbage in recipes. Five minutes to golden brown onions, I don’t think so!

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