The Ultimate Cabbage Soup Recipe 

Looking for the ultimate cabbage soup recipe? Look no further! This Shoney's copycat recipe is easy, budget-friendly, and better than the original!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80% lean or higher)
- 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced or 1 Large
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped. or 5 medium
- 1 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 6-8 cups chicken broth (adjust according to your preference
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to cut acidity)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional( 1 bay leaf.. not in video
Enjoy your delicious and flavorful Shoney's copycat Cabbage Soup!
Instructions:
(((Season the ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper as it cooks in the pot. Stir well to incorporate the seasonings into the meat.)))
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is slightly pink, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a spoon as it cooks. If using a higher fat ground beef like 73% lean, you may need to drain excess fat.
2. While the ground beef is cooking, add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and chopped garlic to the pot. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Once the vegetables are soft, add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), drained and rinsed kidney beans, and tomato sauce to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth.
4. Season the soup with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using). Stir to combine.
5. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have melded together.
6. After the soup has been cooking for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, add the chopped cabbage to the pot. Cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar if needed.
8. Serve hot and enjoy your homemade Shoney's copycat Cabbage Soup with all the delicious additions!
REPLACEMENTS AND OPTIONS
*Tomatoes (try fire roasted tomatoes, seedless peeled canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, stewed tomatoes)
*Tomato Sauce( use 1 small can of tomato paste(saute in after the veggies), 14.5 oz) of crushed tomatoes, (14.5 oz) of tomato puree or marinara sauce
*Vegetarian (omit ground beef .. Can also add extra veggies at end , such as zucchini, potatoes, green beans, kale, spinach, bell peppers
*Broth (Use tomato juice as a base for the soup for a richer tomato flavor., homemade broth, Bouillon Cubes or Powder with water.. If using water only make sure to increase seasonings and spices. , half water/half tomato puree.
*Seasonings (Replace Italian seasonings with a combination of dried marjoram, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, summer savory, sage (light). or parsley and thyme, herb de Provance
*Extra Seasonings( Warm it up some by adding some cumin, turmeric, bay leaf, mustard seeds, chili powder, cheyanne.
This is a great soup to make because you can easily change the flavor profile to your favorite type of foods.