Add Chicken, pork or beef to this sweet and tangy tomato-based vegetable soup with cabbage!
Starting a food blog means that you get to go through every cookbook, food magazine, and a ripped-out-of-something recipe that you own without explanation or shame. To a home cook and foodie like me, SO FUN!! After years of collecting, I know that there are delicious recipes in there that I’ve made, and never gotten around to making, that will give me inspiration.
This homemade vegetable soup is one that I had forgotten about. It’s from my grandmother’s self-published cookbook… a 48-page book of home-cooked happy family memories. In my initial thrill ride through a few favorite cookbooks, this recipe stood out to me because I had been trying to think of new ways to add cabbage to our meals. I had even forgotten what the soup tasted like until my first bite. That sweet, tangy tomato-based broth came rushing back to me as if I had been transported back to my grandmother’s table 20 years ago!
The recipe is just as versatile as her cooking, so you have a few options here.
- You can cook and chop beef, chicken or pork specifically for this soup
OR
- You can use leftover beef, chicken or pork
OR
- You can use store bought cooked beef, chicken or pork
Plan this soup for a night that you can use leftover meat or a rotisserie chicken. The original recipe calls for leftover chopped beef roast. However, as you can see, I used leftover shredded roasted chicken.
See! It’s versatile and will always be delicious!

Home-made Vegetable Soup with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large Can Stewed tomatoes (or sub petite diced tomatoes)
- 1 large Can of water (use tomato can)
- 1 medium Onion diced
- 1 cup Chopped cabbage
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1-2 cups Leftover chopped or shredded Chicken with broth (or sub beef or pork)
- 2 cups Mixed vegetables (or 1 can mixed vegetables)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Tomato juice or more may be added for extra soup if needed.
Instructions
- Cook tomatoes, water, onion, cabbage and garlic over medium-high about 5-10 minutes or until tender.
- Add chicken, beef or pork, mixed vegetables, Worcestershire, sugar, and salt.
- Simmer 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve!
Notes
- Don't be afraid to substitute with what you have! When I made the soup for this post, I used a can of green beans and cut up fresh carrots. It's what I had, and it was delicious!
- You can also add broth instead of tomato juice to make more soup.