Corned beef and cabbage soup is the perfect way to use up leftover cabbage, carrots, and corned beef, after hosting a Saint Patrick’s day celebration.
Corned beef hash is the go to Irish American recipe for Paddy’s Day leftovers, but I’m very partial to a warming bowl of soup with all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage.

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Corned Beef Leftovers
You may be an excellent judge of quantities and never have any leftovers, but when I’m cooking for a crowd I always cook too much. I have a “fear of the hunger,” as my granny would say.
Cooking too much is an Irish trait, probably with roots in the Irish Famine. We never want to appear mean, so leftovers are inevitable.
But fear not! Today’s recipe is a great way to use up any St Patrick’s Day leftovers by creating a delicious warming soup with all the flavors of this Irish holiday.
This recipe makes a good sized pot of soup, with hearty vegetables and a little extra onion, tomatoes and thyme for true comfort food.
This soup is ever so simple to make, quick and filling. It’s ready in just under 30 minutes. It takes very little time to cook, since you only need to sweat some diced onion before tossing in all the cooked leftovers with some diced tomatoes and chicken stock.
All you need is a few vegetables, leftover corned beef, a can of tomatoes, dried thyme, garlic powder and some stock.

Frugal Soup Recipe
I love budget friendly frugal recipes. It’s my “waste not, want not” Irish mentality.
I confess I really enjoy turning leftovers into soup; adding a few extra ingredients and spices to transform them into an inviting and different dish. Leftovers make some of the very best soups, and this recipe is no exception.
This tasty leftover corned beef, cabbage and carrot soup comes together in no time at all.
You can decide on how much stock or broth to add to create the consistency you most enjoy.

Ingredients for Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
Here you’ll find a quick list of what you’ll need for this recipe. Check out the printable recipe at the bottom of this post for US and Metric equivalent versions of the recipe. There you can choose the measurement system that works best for you.
Here’s what you’ll need.
- olive oil
- onion, diced
- cooked sliced carrots
- cooked, cubed potatoes
- cooked and cubed corned beef brisket
- cooked or steamed cabbage
- canned petite diced tomatoes
- dried thyme leaves’
- garlic powder
- chicken stock
I didn't add salt and pepper to my list of ingredients since I find that the leftover corned beef is plenty salty in this soup, especially if the corned beef was cooked using the seasoning packet usually provided.
Feel free to season this soup to taste if you would prefer a saltier or more peppery soup.
Another optional ingredient you could add is some chopped celery. It adds nice flavor to this soup. Sauté the chopped celery stalks in the oil with the onion if you decide to use it. It will need a longer cooking time than the pre-cooked cabbage included as the main veggie.
If you don't have any leftover cabbage simply cut up a small head cabbage into shreds and add it to the pot. You may need to add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time to fully cook this cabbage.
You can add a knob of butter to the olive oil to sweat the onions. Stir them well to fully coat them in the oil and butter.
Another ingredient variation you may wish to experiment with, is the addition of caraway seeds. They add a mild licorice flavor to the soup, and are an ingredient often used for flavoring in Ireland. Some people add caraway seeds to ther Irish soda bread.
Directions for Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
I make this corned beef and cabbage soup recipe on the stove top in a large soup pot. Start by sweating the diced onion.
Pour the olive oil into a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring as needed to avoid burning. There’s no need to brown the onions.
Next add the cooked cabbage, and carrots. Then add the potatoes. I use small cooked baby potatoes with their skins on. Cut them in half if they’re very big.

Toss in the corned beef chunks and top it all off with chicken broth and all the other ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through.
A can of diced tomatoes adds nice color to this soup.
Dried thyme and garlic powder add a little extra flavor.
Toss in a bay leaf too if you like, but this is optional. I never bother, because on the day after Saint Patrick’s Day I don’t want the hassle of remembering to remove bay leaves before serving.

Don't overcook this soup since the potatoes are precooked and already tender.
And that’s all there is to it. A simple soup for the day after Saint Patrick’s Day.
Crock Pot Variation
This soup recipe can be cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker, but I never bother.
It really only needs to be heated through since the ingredients are pre cooked.
If you want a dump and go recipe, sauté the onions in a skillet, then add them to a crockpot. Add all of the other ingredients and simmer on low for one to two hours until heated through.

Serving Your Soup
I like to serve this soup with Irish brown bread. I created my own recipe for this Irish bread specialty. I use easily found American ingredients, rather than an expensive baking mix.
Some people might like to serve Irish soda bread. I prefer a soda bread with no raisins to accompany soup.
Or you can serve any rustic bread to dunk into this hot and comforting soup.
A little chopped parsley makes a lovely garnish. The dark green color of the parsley adds some vibrant color to this rusty red soup broth.
Printable Recipe
Here's a short video outlining the steps to making this delicious soup.
Here you’ll find links for a free printable recipe. You can choose to print this recipe either with or without images.
Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup carrots cooked and sliced
- 3 cups potatoes cooked and cubed
- 2 cups corned beef cooked and cubed
- 3 cups cabbage cooked
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the cabbage, potatoes, corned beef, and chicken stock to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, dried thyme and garlic powder. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until heated through.
- Serve warm with rustic bread.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
I hope you like this soup made with leftovers.
You'll find plenty more Irish soup and stew recipes in this section of my blog.

Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.

Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy…
Irish Soups And Stews
- Irish Guinness Beef Stew - Crockpot Recipe
- Traditional Irish Potato Soup
- Potato And Leek Soup
- Rutabaga And Carrot Soup
Exploring The Irish Psyche
- A Tribute To My Irish American Mom
- The Essence Of Being Irish
- What It Means To Be Irish
- The Irish Love Of Adjectives
Melody
Great idea for a simple soup to use up leftovers. I too always cook too much. This recipe will be a keeper for me.
Irish American Mom
Thanks for stopping by to rate this recipe, Melody. I'm so glad you like this idea for using up leftovers after a Saint Patrick's Day celebration.
Best wishes, and have a lovely Saint Patrick's Day.
Mairéad
Gale
Great way to use leftovers.
Irish American Mom
Hi Gale - Thanks for stopping by to rate this recipe. I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Debra
My husband is Irish and we always have corned beef and cabbage on New Year's Day and St. Patrick's Day. This is a great way to make use of all the leftovers. The soup was perfect comfort and tasted so delicious. Took a couple of bowls to our sick neighbors and they loved it too. So hearty, delicious and comforting. Thank you!
Irish American Mom
Hi Debra - Lovely to hear you enjoyed this soup made with your New Year's Day leftovers. How wonderful that you were able to share it with your neighbors who aren't feeling well. Thanks so much for taking the time to rate my recipe. I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kristen
I made this for family and it was a real winner. Thank you!
Irish American Mom
Hi Kristen - Lovely to hear your family enjoyed this soup.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irina
I thought that I had already tried every single cabbage soup! Well, our family is a soup lover!! So it was great to discover your cabbage soup version with thyme and garlic powder. It really makes a difference. I made it: it turned out delicious!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Irina - Great to hear you enjoyed this soup. It's great for using up leftovers. Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jen
This soup is perfect for the cold winters where I live. I'm always looking for new ways to use cabbage!
Irish American Mom
Hi Jen - I always find cooking a full head of cabbage for my family always leaves leftovers. I love this soup to use up every bit. When I don't have leftover corned beef, I substitute ham.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kim
We love soups and this one will be in the regular rotation! Tasted amazing and definitely worth making corned beef just to make this soup!
Irish American Mom
Hi Kim - I've made corned beef just to make corned beef hash and this soup. Both are so delicious. Thanks for taking the time to rate my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Anjali
This soup looks so hearty and delicious and is such a great idea for using up leftovers! Can't wait to try it soon!
Irish American Mom
Hi Anjali - This is the perfet soup for using up St. Patrick's Day leftovers. I hope you'll like it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irish
This soup was delicious. Only change that I made was substituting the broth that I cooked the CB in for the chicken stock. It was made with Guinness, beef broth, garlic and pickling spice. I strained out the garlic and pickling spice before using the broth in the soup. It tasted terrific combined with the rest of the ingredients. Thank you!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Irish - Lovely to hear this soup was a success. I love your tip of using the corned beef cooking liquid for this soup. What a great idea to help reduce waste and add amazing flavor to this soup. Thanks for stopping by.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Terry
This was really a great way to to use up leftovers. As I was eating, it I thought that some tortellini or small ravioli would be tasty in it. I always use extra tomatoes or tomato sauce in recipes also.. It must've the Italian in me!!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Terry - I love your idea of adding some tortellini or ravioli to this pot of soup. That's true Italian Irish fusion food.
All the best,
Mairéad
☘️☘️☘️
Karen
Hello,
I was wondering if you drain the tomatoes before adding or add the whole can with liquid.
Irish American Mom
Hi Karen - You add the whole can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. I hope you enjoy this soup.
All the best,
Mairéad