Sausage, Cabbage & Sweet Potato Stew (Instant Pot, Crockpot, Stove Top)
Sausage, Cabbage & Sweet Potato Stew is a super-simple, ultra comforting one-pot meal that comes together in a matter of minutes.
A cozy, delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, whole30 recipe that can be made in the Instant Pot, Crockpot or stove top.
Can I just say that I think cabbage is one of the most underrated vegetables out there?
Somewhere along the way kale got all the healthy veggie hype, but there’s more to life than kale, ya know?
I personally love cabbage because it’s packed with nutrients, is generally inexpensive, and cooks down into a silky, luscious texture.
Purple cabbage is a particular favorite around here, as it pairs so well with the rich flavors of sausage, which is the star in the hearty soup.
The prep on this soup is super minimal, and with a sharp knife you’ll be able to chop and drop in no time.
Be sure not to skip the apple cider vinegar at the end, it lends such a beautiful brightness of flavor about the low and slow cooking time.
I used homemade chicken stock for this recipe but chicken broth will also work. Be sure to use vegetable stock for a vegetarian and vegan version of this soup.
I’ve added instructions for the Instant Pot, Crockpot, and stove top, so you’ll be able to whip this one up no matter what.
I love to round this meal out with some crusty bread or rice for hungry family members who don’t think soup counts as a meal.
A quick note, too, that the sweet potatoes will fall apart if cut into small pieces.
I kind of like the texture, but if you want them to stay in tact cut them a little larger.
I hope you’ll make this one soon. If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!
Now, let’s make some Sausage, Cabbage & Sweet Potato Stew!
Recipe & Kid Friendly Adaptations
1 | Precooked chicken sausage will work in place of the polish sausage. The flavor won’t be quite as deep, but it will still be tasty!
2 | Look for a small head of purple cabbage for this recipe. If all you can find is a large head, and you don’t think you’ll use what’s left, ask your grocer to cut it in half for you.
3 | Russet potato would work in place of sweet potato.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
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Sausage, Cabbage & Sweet Potato Stew (Instant Pot, Crockpot, Stove Top)
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 6 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 2 cups chopped sweet potato, skin on is fine
- 2 pounds uncured nitrate/nitrite-free polish beef sausage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Optional Garnish
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add the onion, cabbage, sweet potato, sausage, salt, and stock to a 6-quart pressure cooker.
- Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the pressure cooker timer is done, quick release the pressure.
- Uncover, add the vinegar, and stir. Taste, adding additional salt if desired.
Crockpot Instructions
- Add the onion, cabbage, sweet potato, sausage, salt, and stock to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Uncover, add the vinegar, and stir. Taste, adding additional salt and top with green onion if desired.
Stove Top Instructions
- Add the onion, cabbage, sweet potato, sausage, salt, and stock to a Dutch oven or large pot.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook until the potatoes and cabbage are tender, about 25-35 minutes.
- Uncover, add the vinegar, and stir. Taste, adding additional salt and green onion if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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Total win! My husband agreed to try it even though he doesn’t like sweet potatoes. He liked it. Great recipe.
Woohoo, Kari, that’s the best. So glad you guys enjoyed. 🙂
I made this in my crock pot. I used a bag coleslaw mix and echrich (spelling?) smoked sausage (pork, turkey and beef. I’m fairly certain it had both nitrates and nitrites but it turned out delicious. Thanks for the delicious soup recipe. Perfect for yet another cold Chicago dinner!!
Laura, glad you made this one work with ingredients you had on hand. Stay warm out there!
Just made tonight. I just bought an instant pot because Im trying to cook more vegan keto-ish from scratch. I had gone grocery shopping and got random things (im not a planner). I looked in the fridge, googled "sweet potato and cabbage" and found this recipe. I had Beyond Meat Vegan Sausage 1lb and a bag of Gardein chik strips in the freezer’ I used veggie broth. This was amazing. I felt like I was being hugged from the inside. I loved it and my friend who joined me for dinner loved it too.
So simple and it tastes so rich, I couldn’t believe my numbers on "my fitness pal" that I only consumed 226 calories with my 1/6 portion. Thank you for this recipe. This will become a staple of meal prep day. And I look forward to trying more of your recipes while added the vegan twist.
Helga, how wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this one.
I made this tonight with homemade Italian sausage. I added a some sage, rosemary, and garlic. Huge hit in the house. I will definitely make this again!
Keri, yay, so glad you enjoyed! And yum to homemade Italian sausage!
I was really blown away by this soup! Delicious combo of simple ingredients! I will certainly make it again!
Lisa, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one!
Surprisingly good! Got a purple cabbage in my farm bag so started googling recipes and came across this. Super warm and satisfying.
Sally, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one!
My whole family loved this! I can always count on your recipes for simplicity and deliciousness. This will be a go to. Thank you!
Yay, so happy to hear you and your crew enjoy this one, Christy! Thanks so much for your kind words! 🙂
This was so easy, yummy and comforting, thank you!
Freya, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one!
Yum! Despite the fact that I neglected to add the most important ingredient, apple cider vinegar :-(. I put it into the leftovers tho so it’ll taste great tomorrow.
Another fool proof, tasty, simple and healthy recipe.. thank you again!
Kate, glad to hear this one came out even without the apple cider vinegar, but I bet it boosted those leftovers, too! Cheers!
What do you think about subbing sauerkraut for the cabbage?
Laura, hmmmm, that would be a lot of sauerkraut! It would definitely change the flavor (obviously making it much more sour, and also since the kraut is already fermented it might dissolve during the cooking process. But it might also be delicious. If you try it let us know how it goes!
I did try it-and it was good! Even my picky husband liked it. Changes I made were; I used a 32 oz. jar of sauerkraut and 2 cups of stock with a 24 ounce package of the little smokies sausage, plus remaining ingredients as written. I cooked for 4-5 hours in the crockpot. So, I wouldn’t call it a stew…thanks for giving me a recipe to springboard from!
Laura, fantastic, thanks so much for sharing your adaptations – glad it was a hit!
Love this soup!! It’s amazing and the apple cider vinegar gives it the best flavor! Highly recommended! (I will add more sweet potato next time tho!)
Leslie, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one and that you’ll customize with more sweet potatoes next time you make it. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Why are there green onions in the pic? Did I miss a mention of them as a garnish or as a substitute for the yellow onion?
Hi Lisa, the green onion is just for garnish, not as a substitute for the regular onions called for in the recipe. I’ve edited the recipe to add that note!
Since the Tuscan Chicken Stew recipe was so good I figured I would try this one. Another winner. Thanks for the delicious recipes.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes, Courtney! Thanks so much for leaving reviews!
I have just started eating cabbage after living without it for 58 yrs😂. Had sweet potatoes that were starting to grow shoots so figured why not give it a try?  All I can say is one word: AMAZING!  I added a lot of fresh ground pepper, some brown sugar I saw another recommended , and added more apple cider vinegar, only because I had a huge 8 qt pot when it was full. Added some Cajun seasoning because I like the extra kick, added an extra 3 cups of broth because the pot was so full—Didn’t want a burn notice—and a star was born!  So simple and quick to put together. I slurped it up in no time!
Thank you for  the work you put into doing these recipes. You may even make sacrifices personally to do this so I appreciate it so much!  Will have to check out your other recipes. This is the first time I’ve seen yours because of the ingredients I needed to cook up. Perfect! Â
Darlyne, thanks so much for your kind words, they are appreciated! So happy to hear you enjoyed cabbage in this recipe, and love the modifications you made. Great tips. Hope you enjoy some of the other recipes as well. 🙂
Love this soup! I used beer brats and green cabbage. The taste is wonderful. The apple cider vinegar adds to the taste.
Mmmm… savory & delicious!! I used the InstantPot & like usual, it kinda turned everything into mush. Probably should have cut everything into thicker bits for this method, but the flavor is fantastic. I initially thought I should have browned the sausage, but after the first bite I don’t regret not doing that a all. I don’t exactly mind the mushy veggies, but I do like a little more variety for the mouth feel.
I used only one 14oz Pederson’s brand Uncured Kielbasa from Natural Grocers, instead of 2lbs & it’s plenty of meat for me. Someone who needs a piece of meat with every bite might want to stick with the recipe. I also had a half head of green cabbage that I needed to use, so I went with that instead. I’ll try purple next time because there will absolutely be a next time with this recipe! I also just went with a heaping Tsp of pink salt & it was perfectly salted IMO. I’m usually one to under salt, but this was just right. I also added garlic for flavor & health benefits. I’m always briefly concerned by the stinky nature of apple cider vinegar, but it only adds to the flavor. I ate the whole first bowl white typing this… couldn’t wait because it was just too good!!!! This will for sure be my next 4 meals, even good for breakfast I’m sure! Thank you Robyn!! 🙂
Jason, wonderful to hear you enjoyed this one, and thanks for all your notes — I’m sure others will find it helpful! Thanks so much for leaving a review!