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Some days you look outside and the weather is just plain rude. Wind rattling the windows, rain going sideways, and suddenly a cup of tea feels… well, a little too dainty for what you’re dealing with. Those are the days I want something with backbone. Something warm, smoky, and steady.

That’s when this bacon, cabbage, and potato soup comes out to play. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t ask many questions and doesn’t make a mess of your kitchen. You chop a few things, let a pot bubble away, and before you know it, the house smells like supper at grandma’s — the good kind of memory, where nobody was counting calories and everyone went back for seconds.

It’s not fancy. It’s not trying to impress anyone. It’s just honest, hearty food, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Why You’ll Probably Fall for This Soup (Like I Did)

I don’t throw the word “favorite” around lightly, but this one earns its keep.

You get that smoky, salty bacon flavor right from the start, and it carries through the whole pot.
Potatoes make it filling without making it heavy, if that makes sense.
Cabbage softens into something almost sweet and cozy.
It uses things most of us already have, which means no last-minute grocery run in bad weather.
And it reheats like a dream, which future-you will deeply appreciate.

Also — and this is important — you can mess this up a little and it will still taste good. I love a recipe that doesn’t get fussy if you eyeball a measurement or get distracted by the dog barking at the mailman.

Let’s Talk Ingredients (Nothing Fancy, Promise)

This is pantry-and-fridge cooking at its finest, but a few little choices can nudge the soup in the direction you like best.

Bacon:
Half a pound is perfect. Thick-cut if you want chunkier bites, regular if that’s what’s in the fridge. If it’s smoky, even better. And yes, you’ll snack on some while cooking. That’s just part of the process.

Potatoes:
Russets will soften and give you a slightly thicker broth. Yukon Golds stay more intact and taste a bit buttery. I’ve used both, sometimes even mixed them, and nobody complained.

Cabbage:
Plain green cabbage is exactly right here. Roughly chopped, nothing precious. If you’ve got savoy, that’s lovely too and gets very tender.

Onion and Carrot:
These two are doing quiet background work, adding sweetness and depth. Not flashy, but important. Like good backup singers.

Broth:
Chicken stock is classic. Vegetable stock works fine too, especially if you’re skipping the bacon or going lighter. Use what you like and what you’ve got.

Seasoning:
Bay leaf, salt, black pepper. That’s it. This soup doesn’t need a spice rack parade.

Let’s Cook — Nice and Easy

Grab your favorite soup pot. The one that’s been with you a while and knows what it’s doing.

Start with the bacon.
Medium heat, bacon pieces in, and let them cook until they’re golden and just crisp around the edges. Stir now and then so nothing sticks. When they’re done, scoop them out and set them aside. Leave that lovely fat right where it is. That’s flavor you paid for.

Now the onion and carrot.
Toss the onion into the pot and let it soften until it smells sweet and looks a little glossy. Add the carrots and cook another minute or two. Nothing should be browning hard — we’re just waking things up.

In go the potatoes and cabbage.
Stir them around, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and let them cook together for a few minutes. The cabbage will start to relax, and everything will pick up that bacon flavor. This is where it starts feeling like real soup.

Add the broth and bay leaf.
Pour in about four cups, bring it to a gentle simmer, then cover and let it go for 15 to 20 minutes. You want potatoes you can poke easily with a fork and cabbage that’s soft but not falling apart.

If it looks thicker than you like, add more broth. Soup should behave the way you want it to.

Finish it off.
Fish out the bay leaf, stir the bacon back in, and taste. This is your moment. Maybe it needs more salt. Maybe more pepper. Maybe — and I won’t tell anyone — a little splash of cream.

Ladle it into bowls, sprinkle with parsley if you’re feeling fancy, and serve it with something good for dipping.

Ways to Change It Up (Because We All Get Curious)

Once you’ve made this once, you’ll probably start thinking of little tweaks. That’s how good recipes stick around.

No meat? Skip the bacon, start with olive oil, and add smoked paprika for that cozy smoky note.
Extra filling: Add sausage slices or leftover ham when the bacon goes back in.
A little creamy: Stir in half-and-half at the end for a softer, richer broth.
More veggies: Celery, leeks, or parsnips all play nicely here.

Think of this soup as a good base layer. You can build on it when the mood strikes.

What I Like to Serve With It

Most nights, this is dinner all by itself, but if you want to round things out:

Crusty bread with butter (always with butter)
Soda bread if you’re feeling nostalgic
A simple green salad if you want something fresh on the side

And if supper happens on the couch with a blanket and a good show, that absolutely counts as a proper meal.

Leftovers Are a Gift, Truly

This soup might be even better the next day. Everything settles in and gets cozier.

Let it cool, store it in the fridge for up to three days, and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. If it thickens, just add a splash of broth or water and stir.

It freezes well too, which is handy on those days when you can’t be bothered to cook but still want something homemade.

Frequently Asked Questions

I used red potatoes and they didn’t really break down — did I do something wrong?
Nope, that’s just how they behave. Red potatoes like to keep their shape, which isn’t a bad thing at all, it just gives you a broth that stays a little lighter. I’ve made it that way plenty of times when that’s what I had, and it was still very much dinner-worthy. If you like a thicker feel, mashing a few spoonfuls against the side of the pot usually does the trick.

My cabbage feels kind of soft… almost too soft. Is that okay?
Honestly, yes. Cabbage can go from crisp to tender pretty quickly, and in soup that’s not a problem — it just melts into the broth more. If you like more bite, you can cut the simmer time a little next round, but soft cabbage isn’t a failure here. It just means everything’s cozy and well acquainted.

I only had turkey bacon and it didn’t give off much fat. Did that mess up the flavor?
Not really, it just changes the starting point a bit. Turkey bacon doesn’t leave much behind in the pot, so the onions won’t get quite that same smoky boost, but once the broth and vegetables are in, things even out. I’ve made it both ways, and while pork bacon has more punch, the turkey version still feels like real soup, not a compromise.

Can I make this earlier in the day and reheat it for dinner, or does it get weird?
It actually behaves very nicely if you do that. The flavors settle in and mellow, and sometimes I think it tastes even better later on. Just reheat it gently and add a splash of broth if it thickened more than you expected. And yes, this is one of those soups that forgives you for reheating it twice.

Mine tastes good but kind of flat — like it’s missing something, but I can’t tell what.
Here’s the thing, that usually just means it needs a little more salt or pepper, even if it already seems seasoned. Soup can be sneaky that way. I’ve also found that a tiny splash of something bright — lemon juice or even a drop of vinegar — can wake it up without changing the whole personality of the dish. Not enough to taste sour, just enough to nudge things along.

Is it supposed to be more brothy or more thick and chunky?
Both, honestly. I’ve had it lean and soupy and I’ve had it thick enough that a spoon almost stands up, and I liked it either way. It really depends on your potatoes and how much broth you feel like adding. This is one of those recipes that doesn’t mind being interpreted.

I chopped everything kind of big because I was tired — does that affect anything?
Only the spoonfuls, really. Bigger pieces mean it feels more like a stew, smaller pieces feel more like classic soup, but the flavor doesn’t care much either way. And some nights, chopping small just isn’t happening, and that’s okay. The pot doesn’t judge, and neither should you.

Before You Go…

I think that’s why I love recipes like this so much. They don’t try to be anything other than what they are. Warm, steady, and reliable. The kind of food that shows up when the weather’s bad and the day’s been long.

If you make this soup, I hope it brings a little calm into your evening and maybe even earns a spot in your regular rotation. And if you tweak it — because we all do — I’d love to hear what you added or changed. That’s how good kitchen ideas travel, one pot at a time.

Now go on and get that soup going. And don’t forget to save a little bacon for “quality control.”