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French Onion Beef and Cabbage Soup

French Onion Beef and Cabbage Soup is a hearty slow cooker soup made with ground beef, sausage, cabbage, tomatoes, and savory seasonings. The rich broth has deep flavor inspired by French onion soup, creating a high-protein, low-carb dinner that is perfect for cold nights or busy weeknights. This easy crockpot recipe is a great way to turn simple vegetables and pantry ingredients into a rustic family meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 cup carrots chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 head cabbage cored and roughly chopped (or substitute 2 bags of coleslaw mix)
  • 1 bag frozen kale optional
  • 1 pound ground beef or breakfast sausage browned
  • 13 oz kielbasa sausage cubed
  • 1 can French onion soup
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 shakes rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 3 cups broth beef, chicken, or vegetable

Finishing ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to the slow cooker except the balsamic vinegar.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours (preferred) or high for 4 hours.
  • About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar and stir the soup. This brightens the broth and deepens the flavor.
  • Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Serve hot with:
  • Cornbread
  • Crackers
  • A grilled cheese sandwich
It also reheats beautifully and may taste even better the next day, making it a great leftover lunch. This soup freezes well and is perfect for us to have at least three meals off of it. I love to cook once and eat twice, so we can have this for one dinner and another in the same week, then freeze a leftover for another time.