Ask around the American South what to eat on January 1 and you will hear the same answer again and again: black-eyed peas and greens, with a bit of pork. Peas for coins, greens for folding money, pork for moving forward. A New Year’s soup with cabbage takes that whole lucky plate and puts it in one pot.
This version is a brothy, smoky soup of black-eyed peas, green cabbage, smoked sausage, potatoes and carrots. It takes about an hour from start to finish, uses canned peas so nothing needs soaking overnight, and it tastes even better the next day. That makes it a good one to cook on New Year’s Eve and simply warm up after a late night.
- Serves: 8 (about 1¾ cups each)
- Time: 20 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking
- Flavor: smoky, savory, a little peppery, brightened with a splash of vinegar
- Good to know: one pot, freezer friendly, easy to make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot
Why Eat Cabbage and Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day?
Eating certain foods for good fortune at the turn of the year is common all over the world, and in the Southern United States the menu is fairly fixed. According to N.C. Cooperative Extension, greens such as cabbage, collards and kale stand for money, peas and beans are linked to money because they look like coins that swell as they cook, and pork is considered lucky because pigs root forward with their noses, a sign of progress.
The most famous version of the meal is Hoppin’ John, black-eyed peas cooked with onion and a little ham or pork and served over rice. A blog post from The Henry Ford describes it the way many Southern families still eat it: with greens and cornbread on the side, the greens for money, the peas for coins, and, some say, the cornbread for gold.
Soup is simply an easier way to serve all of it at once, especially to a crowd that wanders into the kitchen at different times on New Year’s Day. Here is how each ingredient fits the tradition:
| Ingredient | What it stands for | What it does in the soup |
|---|---|---|
| Cabbage | Paper money | Sweet, silky body; soaks up the smoky broth |
| Black-eyed peas | Coins and luck | Creamy texture and most of the protein and fiber |
| Smoked sausage or ham | Progress and prosperity | Smoky, salty flavor that seasons the whole pot |
| Cornbread on the side | Gold | Something to dip, and the traditional partner |
Cabbage is not only a Southern good luck food, either. In Germany and in Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens, pork and sauerkraut is the traditional New Year’s Day meal, eaten for the same reason. Whichever story you grew up with, the soup works.
Ingredients for New Year’s Soup with Cabbage
Everything here is easy to find, and there is room to swap. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Smoked sausage: kielbasa is mild and smoky; andouille adds heat. Leftover holiday ham, diced, works just as well, and a ham bone simmered in the broth is even better.
- Onion, carrots, celery and garlic: the usual soup base. Dice them small so every spoonful gets a bit of everything.
- Smoked paprika and dried thyme: they deepen the smoky flavor, which matters most if you use ham or skip the meat.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: the sausage and canned peas already bring salt, so starting with low-sodium broth keeps the soup from getting too salty.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: they hold their shape and make the soup more filling. If you have been looking for a New Year’s soup with cabbage and potatoes, this is it.
- Green or savoy cabbage: green cabbage is the classic choice. Savoy is softer and frillier and cooks a little faster.
- Black-eyed peas: two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed. Rinsing removes the starchy liquid and some of the sodium.
- Apple cider vinegar: just a tablespoon at the end. It wakes up the flavors in the same way Southern cooks splash pepper vinegar over greens.
How to Make New Year’s Soup with Cabbage, Step by Step
1. Brown the sausage
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the sliced sausage. Let it sit long enough to brown at the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then. Those browned bits on the bottom of the pot are flavor, so do not skip this. Scoop the sausage out and keep the fat in the pot.
2. Cook the vegetables and spices
Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping the bottom as the vegetables release their moisture. When the onion is soft, stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme and red pepper flakes for about a minute, just until they smell toasty.
3. Simmer the potatoes
Pour in the broth, add the potatoes and bay leaves and bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes. The potatoes go in first because they need a head start on the cabbage.
4. Add the cabbage, peas and sausage
Stir in the chopped cabbage. It will fill the pot almost to the top, but it collapses by about half within a few minutes. Add the drained black-eyed peas and the browned sausage and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender with a little bite left and the potatoes are soft all the way through.
5. Finish and taste
Fish out the bay leaves, stir in the vinegar and taste. This is the moment to add salt and black pepper, not before, because the sausage and broth vary so much in saltiness. Serve with chopped parsley and a bottle of hot sauce on the table.
Getting the Cabbage Right
Cabbage is the ingredient that makes or breaks this soup. Cooked briefly, it is sweet and silky. Boiled for too long, it turns grey, soft and sulfurous, and that smell fills the whole house. A few things help:
- Cut it into bite-size pieces, about 1-inch squares or short ribbons, so it fits on a spoon.
- Remove the hard core and the thickest part of the outer leaf ribs.
- Add it late. On the stove, 12 to 15 minutes is enough. If you are reheating the soup later, it will soften a little more, so err on the side of underdone.
- Do not be shy with the amount. A small head, about 2 pounds, looks enormous raw but gives a soup that is generous with cabbage without turning into a stew.
Napa cabbage also works, but it is much more delicate. Add it in the last 5 minutes only.
Slow Cooker, Instant Pot and Dried Pea Versions
The stovetop method gives you the most control, but this good luck soup adapts easily to whatever fits your day.
| Method | How to do it | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Slow cooker | Brown the sausage and vegetables in a skillet if you can. Add everything except the vinegar and parsley to the slow cooker. For firmer cabbage, add it in the last hour. | Low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours |
| Instant Pot | Use the saute setting for the sausage and vegetables. Add the broth, potatoes, peas, cabbage and bay leaves. Cook on high pressure, release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release. | 3 minutes at pressure, about 30 minutes total |
| Dried black-eyed peas | Use 1½ cups dried peas, rinsed and picked over. Simmer them in the broth for 40 to 60 minutes until nearly tender, then continue from step 3. Add a little extra broth if needed. | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
Black-eyed peas do not need an overnight soak the way larger beans do, though older dried peas can take longer to soften. Start checking them at 40 minutes.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
There is no single traditional New Year’s soup with cabbage. Every family has its own version, and many of the ones you will find in Southern cookbooks look quite different from this one. Here are a few directions to take it:
| If you want | Change this |
|---|---|
| Leftover ham | Swap the sausage for 2 cups diced ham, or simmer a ham bone in the broth for 30 minutes before adding the potatoes |
| A tomato-based soup | Add a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes, or a can of tomatoes with green chiles, with the broth |
| More heat | Use andouille sausage, add 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and keep the red pepper flakes |
| More greens | Add 2 to 3 cups chopped collards with the potatoes, since collards need longer to cook than cabbage |
| Ground beef | Brown 1 pound lean ground beef instead of the sausage and drain the excess fat |
| A lighter bowl | Use turkey kielbasa, skip the oil if your sausage releases fat, and add an extra carrot |
| Meatless | Leave out the sausage, use vegetable broth, add ½ teaspoon more smoked paprika and a teaspoon of soy sauce for depth |
The lighter version is a good fit if you are after a healthy New Year’s soup with cabbage after the holidays. It is full of vegetables and fiber and still feels like a proper meal.
What to Serve with This Good Luck Soup
Cornbread is the classic partner, both for luck and for dipping. A skillet of cornbread made from our Albers cornmeal recipe is a natural fit. If you are cooking a full Southern New Year’s spread, the soup sits well next to pinto beans and cornbread or a pot of red beans and rice.
Some people spoon the soup over a scoop of white rice, which turns it into something close to Hoppin’ John. Keep pepper vinegar or hot sauce on the table, and if you are hosting, a sparkling drink made with our winter citrus syrup brings a fresh note to a hearty meal.
For other cold-weather soups, try our ham and pinto bean soup, which is a good way to use the rest of a holiday ham, or a creamy potato soup.
Making It Ahead, Storing and Reheating
Like most bean soups, this one improves overnight as the peas and potatoes soak up the smoky broth. Make it on December 31, cool it, refrigerate it, and it is ready to warm on New Year’s Day.
- Fridge: the USDA recommends refrigerating leftovers within 2 hours and eating them within 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: freeze in portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Potatoes get a little softer after freezing, but in a brothy soup it is hardly noticeable.
- Reheating: warm it on the stove until steaming hot. The peas and potatoes thicken the soup as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
New Year’s Soup with Cabbage: Your Questions
What is the tradition of eating cabbage on New Year’s Day?
Cabbage and other leafy greens are eaten for money and prosperity in the coming year because the leaves look like folded paper money. In the South, cabbage or collards are paired with black-eyed peas for luck. In German and Pennsylvania Dutch homes, cabbage turns up as sauerkraut with pork.
What soup do people eat on New Year’s?
In the Southern US, black-eyed pea soups are the most common, often with cabbage or collards and ham or sausage, like this one. Other countries have their own: Haitians eat soup joumou on January 1, and in Japan, ozoni, a soup with rice cakes, is a New Year’s tradition.
Can I use dried black-eyed peas instead of canned?
Yes. Use 1½ cups dried peas and simmer them in the broth for 40 to 60 minutes until nearly tender before adding the potatoes. You may need an extra cup or two of broth.
Can I make it without meat?
Yes. Leave out the sausage, use vegetable broth and add a little extra smoked paprika and a splash of soy sauce for the savory depth the meat would normally provide.
Is this the same as cabbage soup diet soup?
No. The cabbage soup from the well-known 7-day diet is a very low-calorie vegetable broth meant for short-term crash dieting. This soup is a complete meal with protein from the peas and sausage, and it is meant to be eaten and enjoyed, not used to lose weight quickly.
How many calories are in a bowl?
By our estimate, about 356 calories per 1¾-cup serving, with 15 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. The numbers change with the sausage you use; turkey sausage brings them down.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, as long as your pot holds at least 8 quarts. Brown the sausage in two batches so it browns instead of steaming, and give the larger pot a few extra minutes to come to a simmer.
Printable New Year’s Soup Recipe Card
New Year’s Soup with Cabbage and Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 14 oz smoked sausage kielbasa or andouille, sliced into half-moons (or 2 cups diced cooked ham)
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 quarts
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes about 2 medium, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small head green or savoy cabbage about 2 lb, cored and chopped (8 to 9 cups)
- 2 cans (15 oz) black-eyed peas drained and rinsed, or 3 cups cooked
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley and hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 to 6 minutes, until browned at the edges. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pot.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer the potatoes: Pour in the broth, add the potatoes and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just starting to soften.
- Add cabbage and peas: Stir in the chopped cabbage (it will look like too much, but it wilts down by about half), the drained black-eyed peas and the browned sausage. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender but not limp and the potatoes are soft.
- Season and serve: Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and pass hot sauce at the table.