Whether you're looking for a healthy comfort meal or ways to use up all the fresh or frozen produce you've stocked up in the fridge, this vegetable beef soup with cabbage is sure to nourish you. It's also a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your baby or kid's diet.

It's over 70 degrees and here we are enjoying hot soup. For me, soup is any-time-of-the-year food! It's easy to make, budget-friendly, versatile, awesome for bulk and freezer cooking, and most importantly, soul-warming! Any fellow soup lovers here?
Luckily, my toddler loves his soups just as much as his mommy, if not more! I love it because it's a great way to pack in a lot of nutrition into his diet with minimal effort. He struggles with drinking water so it also helps with hydration as well.
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Ingredients
Meat: I used ground beef because that's what I have most of on hand. You can use stew meat but will have to cook for much longer.
Vegetables: (onion, garlic, carrot, potato, cabbage). You can use whatever veggies you'd like, fresh or frozen. Root vegetables work especially well. But cabbage is a must, hence the name ;).
Cabbage: Honestly, I didn't cook much with cabbage until we started our baby led weaning journey with our son.
I made a list of all the new foods I wanted to introduce to him, as variety plays a critical role in shaping food preferences, and cabbage was one of them.
I simply steam roasted or braised it, and I couldn't believe just how much he loved it, especially the red cabbage. Since then, I, too, have learned to appreciate this humble vegetable. Who knew cabbage could impart soo much flavor to dishes, especially soups!
It's also scrumptious in lasagna ;).
Canned diced tomatoes - can use stewed or fire-roasted tomatoes if you want a little smoky flavor.
Step By Step Instructions

1. Cook beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain the excess fat and remove from the pot.
2. Cook the onion first.

3. Add and cook garlic, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, oregano, and pepper.
4. Add the beef back in along with broth and tomatoes. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Tips for Picky Eaters
- If your child is learning to enjoy textures, you can blend the soup to desired consistency. However, since moving forward with texture is so critical, start thinking about keeping it chunkier.
- If your child is hesitant or afraid of mixed foods, serve the ingredients separately - deconstructed style. In the meanwhile, serve a very small portion of mixed soup in a separate bowl for exposure. Don't pressure them to eat it. Just seeing helps take the newness out and make it less intimidating/scary.
- Don't include a whole bunch of unfamiliar ingredients into the soup or those that your child doesn't like (yet!). Be considerate and add 1 or 2 at most along with those that your child does enjoy.
Serving Suggestions

Now, every hearty soup needs a dunker, no? A wedge of ciabatta or crusty baguette soaking up all the wonderful juices of this beef vegetable soup....Sounds so dreamy.
A slice of this moist and fluffy cornbread would be lovely too!
But what I have on hand at this moment is humble frozen sandwich bread, and I shall not complain!
You can also stir in some cooked grains or pasta (like in this cabbage lasagna). Whether or not your baby or toddler decides to have a go with their spoon, always offer it, again for the sake of exposure. You never know when they'll show interest and great determination to mimic their parents.
More Soups to Try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!

Vegetable Beef Soup with Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 medium potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ medium green cabbage (about 3 cups), roughtly chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups (32 oz) low-sodium beef broth
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Drain the excess fat. Remove from the pot.
- Add oil to the same pot and cook onion for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so. Add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, oregano, pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the beef back in along with broth and tomatoes. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until cabbage and potatoes are softened.
- Set aside a portion for baby and season with salt and pepper to taste for the rest of the family.
Jean says
I made this yesterday. I didn’t want a tomato based broth so I added a quart of homemade chicken broth and some water and 2 beef bullion cubes. . I added 2 yellow squash that were getting old. Cooked it all on soup setting on instant pot. When it finished I stirred in a can of cream of mushroom soup which gave it a creamier base. Loved it. I love tomato based soup but we had just made unstuffed green pepper recipe which is tomato based. Thank you.
Min says
Sounds delicious!!
Laura says
This was a great starting point for soup! I had some beets so actually made it more like borscht by changing up the seasonings and adding lemon juice. My 11mo really enjoyed it. Served it with your three-ingredient oatmeal cookies.
Min says
Ooh what a lovely idea! And I'm so glad you guys enjoyed both this and the cookies ;). Thanks for letting me know!
Brandy says
thank you for this great recipe! I’ll def try it for my little one! 🙂 One awkward question, do you make beef broth yourself or buy a carton? (Or some kind of powder?) Sorry I am pretty new to cooking world.. 🙂
Min says
Hi! Not awkward at all! Yes I purchase ones from a carton. Look for low or no-salt-added 😉
Sara says
Can you freeze leftovers?
Min says
Sure! Be sure to cool the soup completely and leave some space in bag or container as liquids expand upon freezing