Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Onion, parsnip, carrots, garlic, fresh herbs, tomato, cabbage, pearled barley and tender brisket… all in a soup! What could be a better recipe for leftover corned beef than leftover corned beef and cabbage soup?

corned beef and cabbage soup in a serving bowl


 

If you are like my family, the only time of year you eat corned beef is St. Patrick’s Day. Which is really a shame because it is so darn good! And if you are also like my family, you make WAY too much because beef briskets are usually huge!

Why You’ll Love This Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

A hearty soup that’s both flavorful and easy to make- what’s not to love!

  • No wasting leftovers – This cabbage soup recipe is a great way to use up those leftovers from St. Patrick’s Day with no waste.
  • Quick and easy – You can have this soup ready and on the table in less than one hour. couldn’t be easier.
  • Continue the celebration – No need to stop the St. Patrick’s Day celebration- you can enjoy the food for even longer.

What to do with leftover corned beef?

Most people just reheat or make a delicious corned beef sandwich, but you can also make Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup!

This recipe transforms corned beef into a colorful and hearty meal packed with vegetables like parsnips, carrots and tomatoes.

While the recipe calls for one pound of corned beef, you can use anything from 1/2 pound to 2 pounds, it just depends on what you have on hand and how meaty you prefer your soup. You can even use your previously cooked carrots, potatoes and cabbage!

While my Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup doesn’t use potatoes, feel free to add fresh potatoes along with the first round of veggies or leftover potatoes at the very end to reheat.

I merged my corned beef soup with a beef and barley recipe that I love. Barley is one of those ancient grains that is so underutilized, but tastes great, has a fabulous texture and is so good for you.

crspoon holding corned beef and cabbage soup

Ingredients

You will easily find all of the ingredients to make this corned beef and cabbage soup at your local grocery store.

  • Olive oil – The first step of making this soup is sauteing the vegetables. I like to use a mild flavored olive oil for this.
  • Yellow onion – Onion adds excellent flavor to this corned beef soup. You can use white onion if you prefer.
  • Parsnip – I love parsnips and feel that they aren’t used enough! Make sure this is peeled and chopped.
  • Carrots – Make sure these are peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces. This adds both texture and color to the soup.
  • Garlic – I much prefer to mince my own garlic cloves. It packs a bigger flavor punch than the pre-minced jar of garlic.
  • Broth – This will be the main base of our soup. You can use either vegetable broth chicken broth.
  • Herbs – I use both fresh thyme leaves and bay leaves. They add an herbaceousness to this soup that is incredible.
  • Salt and pepper – I prefer to use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Using table salt can make things taste a little like iron.
  • Pearled barley – The health benefits of barley include being high in fiber, thus aiding in weight regulation, digestion and blood sugar levels and also high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
  • Cabbage – If you have leftover cabbage from St. Patrick’s Day too, perfect! If not, fresh cabbage works too.
  • Plum tomatoes – You will want to make sure the pulp and seeds are removed. Chop them up into small pieces.
  • Leftover corned beef – You will want to cut this into bite-sized pieces. Alternatively, you can shred it.
  • Lemon juice – To add a little brightness and acidity to this soup, we add a little fresh lemon juice.

How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

You can have this delicious soup ready to serve in under an hour!

  1. Sauté onion, parsnip, carrot and garlic. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat light olive oil. Add onion, parsnip, carrot and garlic. Sauté until slightly soft.
  2. Remove all vegetables from the pot to a bowl, set aside. Don’t worry about all the little bits and pieces, a few left won’t be a problem.
  3. Add broth and seasonings to pot. Without wiping it out, add vegetable or chicken broth, thyme leaves, kosher salt, ground pepper, bay leaves and barley to the pot. Cover pot and simmer.
  4. Add sauteed vegetables back to soup, increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes.
  5. Add cabbage, tomato, corned beef and lemon juice. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, or until beef is heated.
  6. Serve and enjoy. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.
close up of beef and cabbage soup

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can make this leftover corned beef and cabbage soup your own.

  • Vegetables – You can swap any vegetables, or add any in addition to. I like veggies with a snap, so celery would be a great option. You could also add potatoes.
  • Broth – You could really use any broth you have on hand- vegetable, chicken or beef. You could also use chicken stock.
  • Cooking method – While this soup is made on the stove top and I haven’t tried another method, you could certainly try making it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay for up to five days.

Can I Freeze Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze this soup. Freeze it in an airtight container and it will stay for up to three months.

Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is the best way to make another full meal from your Irish feast packed with vibrant veggies and seasoning. #cornedbeefsoup #leftovercornedbeefrecipes #easysouprcipes www.savoryexperiments.com

More Festive St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

From sweets and green treats to corned beef and potatoes, here are some of our favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipes.

Overhead of colcannon in a bowl and topped with butter

Colcannon

This Irish Colcannon recipe is an easy recipe using your favorite mashed potato recipe, a special trick for super silky cabbage, bacon and lots of creamy butter. 
See The Recipe!
bread in a loaf pan

Cheddar Beer Bread

Rich, buttery and cheesy, this easy to make Cheddar Beer Bread only requires 5 ingredients and NO RISING TIME!
See The Recipe!
Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is the best way to make another full meal from your Irish feast packed with vibrant veggies and seasoning. #cornedbeefsoup #leftovercornedbeefrecipes #easysouprcipes www.savoryexperiments.com
corned beef and cabbage soup in a serving bowl

Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

4.87 from 15 votes
Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is the best way to make another full meal from your Irish feast. Tender brisket and loaded of vibrant veggies make this a winner all year round, not just St. Patrick’s Day. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat light olive oil. Add onion, parsnip, carrot and garlic. Saute until slightly soft.
  • Remove all vegetables from the pot to a bowl, set aside. Don’t worry about all the little bits and pieces, a few left won’t be a problem.
  • Without wiping it out, add vegetable or chicken broth, thyme leaves, kosher salt, ground pepper, bay leaves and barley to the pot. Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add sauteed vegetables back to soup, increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add cabbage, tomato, corned beef and lemon juice. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, or until beef is heated.
  • Ladle into soup bowls and serve.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know! 

Nutrition

Calories: 272 kcal, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Protein: 14 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 40 mg, Sodium: 2284 mg, Potassium: 783 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 3625 IU, Vitamin C: 63 mg, Calcium: 63 mg, Iron: 2.7 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 272
Course: Main Course, Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: cabbage soup, corned beef and cabbage soup, leftover corned beef recipes
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.87 from 15 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    A great recipe to repurpose leftovers! And I looove adding the parsnips — a favorite of mine — I take any suggestions to use them more often!

  2. 5 stars
    I do some version of “leftover” soup every time I make corned beef. Tried yours this year and it is spectacular- thanks!

  3. 5 stars
    I loved corned beef & cabbage as a kid, but I’ve never had it as a soup! So excited to try this and bring back happy memories

  4. 5 stars
    We try to be zero waste at our house, and this soup helped us do that after St. Patricks day! This was so tasty!

  5. 5 stars
    This soup looks so light and fantastic. It’s so healthy too and bonus… it’s easy to make. I can’t wait to give it a try. I just saved the recipe. Thanks!