The best Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe! This Stuffed Cabbage Soup is hearty, filling and healthy! The best easy weeknight dinner.
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While traditional cabbage rolls are undeniably delicious, they often take so long to make. But what if you could enjoy those same amazing flavors on a busy weeknight without the need for rolling and baking?
This cabbage roll soup transforms this rich, savory dish into an easy, one pan meal that’s sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
For another easy one pot dinner with similar flavors, try our Unstuffed Cabbage Skillet.
You will love this Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
There is so much to like about this cabbage roll soup recipe! Here’s why it is one of our favorites:
- Easy to make – Cabbage soup comes together in just 40 minutes on the stovetop, making it a great option for busy weeknights!
- Hearty and filling – This soup is so hearty with 23g of protein per serving and is so incredibly comforting!
- Flavorful – Full of flavor, this cabbage roll soup recipe is packed with pantry staples and uses simple flavorful spices that make this recipe so delicious.
Stuffed Cabbage Soup ingredients
For this cabbage roll soup you’ll need:
- olive oil
- ground beef
- onion, garlic
- cabbage
- petite diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- water
- beef broth
- long grain white rice
- spices
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
How to make Cabbage Roll Soup
- In a large pot, heat olive oil. Brown ground beef for 10 minutes. Add garlic and onion and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cabbage and stir together. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, add cabbage and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, continuing to stir every few minutes.
- Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Ground Beef: You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken.
Veggies: Feel free to add in more or less veggies.
Tomatoes: If you don’t have petite diced tomatoes you can use canned crushed tomatoes or even tomato sauce. Either will work well!
Beef Broth: Any broth or stock (broth and stock are the same) can be used in any soup recipe. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
Spices: Feel free to substitute fresh herbs for dried spices. Use double the amount of fresh herbs in place of dry herbs.
Low Carb/Whole30/Paleo: Substitute the white rice for cauliflower rice to make this recipe Whole30. Add cauliflower rice at the very end of the recipe instead of boiling it and use 1 less cup of water.
How to serve this Recipe for Cabbage Roll Soup
This Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup is a complete meal by itself, but it would also be delicious with:
- crusty bread
- garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley
- a simple salad like our Greek Salad
- a side of Grilled Vegetables
Recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Soup FAQs
Cabbage soup contains ground beef, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, beef broth, rice, a variety of spices, and, of course, cabbage!
Yes! Once cabbage is overcooked, it will not have a pleasant smell. You want to add the cabbage AFTER the soup has begun to boil and cook only until the rice is al dente.
– Pros: Cabbage soup is low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in essential nutrients, offering a budget friendly option for those seeking to manage their weight and boost their overall health.
– Cons: There aren’t many cons if you are making it at home and using low sodium broth. Some people may experience increased flatulence and bloating after consuming cabbage.
Stuffed Cabbage Soup Recipe storage
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing!
If you need more freezer friendly recipes check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!
Can you reheat cabbage soup?
Yes! You can reheat cabbage soup in the microwave or on the stovetop. If frozen you can thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before, or just reheat directly from frozen.
Can you leave cabbage soup out overnight?
No, you can’t leave any soup out overnight. Soup, especially those that contain meat, needs to be refrigerated to keep it fresh!
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
Looking for other soup recipes? Check out these 40+ Healthy Soup Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy soup cookbook.
Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion 1 medium onion
- ½ tablespoon garlic
- 4 cups chopped cabbage cut in small squares (about 1 small cabbage, core removed)
- 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups beef broth low or no salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2/3 cup long grain white rice
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil. Brown ground beef for 10 minutes.
- Add garlic/onion to the ground beef. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Once onions/garlic have sautéed, add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cabbage and stir together.
- Cover and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, add cabbage leaves and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until rice is cooked to al dente, continuing to stir every few minutes.
- The rice will continue to cook slightly when taken off the stove. Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Note: the rice will absorb broth as it cooks. You can add more broth to the soup when enjoying leftovers if you like a broth-ier consistency.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Set the instant pot to sauté for 15 minutes. Brown ground beef for 10 minutes
- Add garlic/onion to the ground beef. Sauté for an additional 5 mins.
- Once onions/garlic have sautéed, add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cabbage and stir together.
- Make sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the instant pot so you don’t get a burn notice.
- Cover the instant pot and set the vent to Sealing, High Pressure for 3 minutes.
- It will take about 8-10 minutes for your instant pot to come to pressure. Once cooked, quick release the pressure valve. Stir in cabbage, and put the lid back on top of the instant pot for 2 minutes until the cabbage has wilted slightly. Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Note: the rice will absorb broth as it cooks. You can add more broth to the soup when enjoying leftovers if you like a broth-ier consistency.
Crockpot Instructions:
- In a pot, heat olive oil. Brown ground beef for 10 minutes.
- Add garlic/onion to the ground beef. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Once onions/garlic have sautéed, add the beef/garlic/onion mixture to the crockpot.
- Add all remaining ingredients except cabbage to the crockpot and stir together.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. (All slow cookers are different, check yours to make sure the rice isn’t over cooking.)
- One hour before serving, add your cabbage to the slow cooker and stir to combine (you can add it in at the beginning, it will just be really soft if it cooks for that long!)
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Note: the rice will absorb broth as it cooks. You can add more broth to the soup when enjoying leftovers if you like a broth-ier consistency.
- Slow Cooker Note: To avoid over-cooked rice, you can reduce the amount of water in this recipe by 1 cup, and cook your rice on the side. Stir in cooked rice when the soup has finished cooking
Joan Van Deelen says
This is really good! It’s fast & easy on the stovetop, and is delicious!