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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is the perfect dish for your St Patrick's day celebrations this year!
This soup is loaded with cabbage and other hearty vegetables, tender corned beef, aromatics, and a dark beer for an even richer broth.
It is one of the easiest Slow Cooker Recipes and a great way to use up leftover corned beef from Instant Pot Corned Beef, or this delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe. Whether you make it as one of your St Patrick’s Day Recipes or for a weeknight dinner, you’re sure to love it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Ahead: Soups are great for making ahead of time since they usually last for a week in the refrigerator with the option of storing in the freezer for up to 3 months! I'm now in the habit of making extra soup and storing it for easy dinner options when I'm too busy to make a meal from scratch.
- Optional Cooking Methods and Time: The slow cooker gives you the option to add all of your ingredients into one pot at the beginning of the day and come home to a hearty soup for dinner. I've also provided the option to cook this soup in a shorter amount of time on the stovetop should you need it!
- Versatile: Add in your favorite vegetables, use leftover corned beef, or make your soup spicy with some simple spice adjustments. Soups are generally super adaptable and this slow cooker corned beef and cabbage soup is no exception.
Why This Recipe Works
- I've added helpful tips and questions for your convenience that I myself had when making this corned beef and cabbage soup for the first time, saving you any effort of having to research online for answers or clarification!
- I've included simple recipe instructions and step-by-step recipe images. Seriously though, making this soup in the slow cooker only requires you to add all of the ingredients into the pot and get on with your day!
- I've added some great questions that are commonly asked by readers for soup recipes to ensure that your experience when making this hearty soup is simple and rewarding.
- Recipe variations are listed below as easy and delicious ways for you to vary this soup without compromising the outcome of your dish.
What Do I Need To Make This Recipe
Equipment
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Ingredients
Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
- Oil – you could also use canola or vegetable oil but I prefer olive oil for this soup. Just don't use an oil that has an overpowering flavor.
- Butter – oil can also be used in place of butter if you prefer.
- Onion – This recipe uses yellow onion but you can use any type of onion (diced).
- Garlic cloves – you'll need about 3 cloves worth of garlic, either preminced or mince the fresh garlic cloves yourself instead.
- Carrots – peel and slice your carrots. Any type and size (large carrots or baby carrots) will do. You can also leave the skin on but then make sure to wash the carrots well.
- Celery stalks – dice the stalks of your celery for this soup. Celery provides great flavor to any soup.
- Corned beef – I've used cooked corned beef for this soup but you can use uncooked corned beef instead. You will need to cube the raw meat, add to the soup, and factor in some additional cooking time.
- Cabbage – use green cabbage for this soup.
- Potatoes – I used baby potatoes in this recipe but don't let that stop you from using regular medium potatoes. When using regular potatoes, make sure to cube them before adding to the soup. Yukon Gold is always a good option for soups and stews.
- Bay leaves – these provide great aromatic flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds a delicious balance or sour, sweet, and spicy.
- Smoked paprika – offers a lovely depth of warmth to the soup.
- Beef broth – use a low sodium broth or regular broth.
- Beer – use a bottle of dark beer or preferably a German beer. While adding the beer is optional, it adds so much flavor which is well worth trying at least once!
- Parsley – for garnish as an option just prior to serving.
How Do I Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Add all the ingredients except the parsley to a large crock pot.
- Set the crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Dark Beer. The dark beer definitely boosts the flavor of this soup, adding another level of richness to it. If you don't want to cook with alcohol, consider using a non-alcoholic beer instead or you can certainly just use beef broth but then add an extra amount in place of liquid lost from not using the beer.
- Veggies Galore. A typical corned beef and cabbage soup calls for all the usual veggies – cabbage, celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes. Other veggies that will withstand the cooking and simmering of soup can also be added. Don't be shy with the veggies, even if you have picky eaters – the corned beef and flavors of the soup seriously help to offset any dislike of vegetables!
- Bread. I love serving this chicken pot pie with homemade or canned biscuits but you could also enjoy it alongside crusty bread, pie crust crackers, or whatever else your heart desires!
- Corned Beef. If you want to use uncooked corned beef for this soup then cube the raw meat and add it to the soup. Just be aware of the fact that you may need some extra cooking time when using uncooked meat.
- Stove Top Option. If you forgot to prepare this soup at the beginning of the day and need your soup ready to serve soon, simply cook it on the stovetop in a large pan. You can follow my recipe directions but just cook the soup over medium heat for about 45 minutes. If you want a quick dinner, you can cook this on the stove top in a large pan.
- To Thicken Soup. If you want a thicker consistency to your soup, make up a slurry to mix into the soup until you have achieved the consistency you desire. Use a gluten-free flour for any gluten sensitivities.
Variations
- Use different vegetables in place of what I've used for this soup or as add-ins. Whatever you opt for, make sure that they are the type of veggies that can withstand a slow cooking process without becoming a mushy mess.
- If you have leftover corned beef from previous meals then use that otherwise you also have the option of using store-bought cooked corned beef from the deli section of your local grocery store. Raw corned beef can also be used, cubed and added to the soup.
- Use a non-alcoholic beer if you don't want to cook with alcohol. You could also just use beef broth instead of any beer. While the taste of the soup may change slightly, it'll still be incredibly delicious.
- While this soup is intended to be made with a rich German beer, another bottle of beer of your choice will work just as well.
- Consider adding in some rice, pasta, or barley into the soup to bulk it up. It's best to cook these separately from the soup, adding them into the soup just prior to serving so that they don't get too soft and mushy.
- Add a slight kick of heat to your soup by using a hot paprika or by seasoning with a small amount of cayenne pepper.
What To Serve With Corned Beef And Cabbage Soup
You'll find that this slow cooker corned beef and cabbage soup is incredibly filling and hearty all by itself which is why I often enjoy a bowl without any side dish. With that said, for an extra comforting meal, consider serving your soup with:
- Irish Soda Bread Muffins with Jalapeño and Cheddar
- Focaccia Bread
- Homemade Biscuits
- Crusty artisan bread
Another option is to serve this hearty soup with a light and refreshing side salad, such as my Chopped Vegetable Salad or the Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad.
FAQs
HOW SHOULD I STORE SLOW COOKER CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP?
You can store leftover corned beef and cabbage soup in an airtight container, once completely cool, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, simply add the soup to a large pot and reheat slowly on the stovetop until heated through or reheat in the microwave.
CAN I FREEZE THIS SOUP?
Yes, you can! Corned beef and cabbage soup can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
WHAT IS CORNED BEEF?
Corned beef, otherwise referred to as 'salt beef', is simply beef brisket that has been treated with large salt granules as a form of preservation, tenderization, and flavoring. As such, sometimes spices and sugar are also added to the meat treatment.
The curing of the meat makes it tender and flavor while the process was historically used to preserve meat when refrigeration was less of an option for storage of meat.
Corned beef is well known and enjoyed around St Patrick's Day. Why? Well, Irish immigrants used to live and shop close to Jewish communities in the United States where they would buy this kosher meat and add in vegetables and cabbage with the meat to make an affordable and delicious meal!
WHAT CAN I DO IF MY SOUP ISN'T THICK ENOUGH?
If you'd like your soup to be thicker, simply add a slurry towards the end of the cooking time, stirring well to incorporate throughout the soup until the desired thickness has been achieved.
More St Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Reuben Sliders
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Crispy Corned Beef and Hash
- Easy Grasshopper Pie
- Beef Tips and Rice
- Sous Vide Corned Beef
More Slow Cooker Recipes
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 large carrots sliced
- 3 celery stalks sliced
- 2 pounds cooked corned beef cubed or shredded
- 1/2 head cabbage chopped
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 12 ounce bottle dark beer – German beer if possible
- Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the parsley to a large crock pot.
- Set the crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Melissa Wicklund says
Can I use different meat than corn beef??Hubby doesn’t like meat..Maybe stew meat or ham..
Michele says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can use another cut of beef, such as stew meat, or ham. If he doesn’t like meat, then maybe you could try fish, or a vegetarian vegetable soup.
Good luck, Let me know how it works out.
Thanks,
Michele
Sarah says
This turned out fantastic. I put my cubed raw corned beef on the bottom with the spice packet sprinkled on it, and then dumped the veggies on top and it still cooked in 5 hours. I used a Murphys Irish stout. Served with Irish soda bread, mmm mmm good!