This delectable Cabbage Roll Soup takes everything you love about cabbage rolls and puts them into one easy soup. Just think of it as deconstructed cabbage rolls. This hearty family friendly soup is flavor packed and full of wholesome ingredients like ground beef, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, and cabbage. I love to serve it with cornbread or beer bread.
I love everything about cabbage rolls, but I don’t always have the time to make them. It takes time to simmer the cabbage leaves, stuff them and roll them. This soup eliminates all of that but still gives you all the flavor of cabbage rolls. Besides, who wouldn’t love a nice warm hearty bowl of soup? To me, soup is great anytime. It warms the cockles of my heart.
In no time at all, you can have a whole pot of hearty soup for your crew. This family-friendly recipe starts with ground beef, onion, carrots, and garlic. It is seasoned perfectly with paprika, oregano, and thyme and sweetened with just a bit of brown sugar. The aromas from the kitchen will be enough to ensure that you don’t miss out on a bowl.
How to make Cabbage Roll Soup
First, brown the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are soft. Now reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Add the cabbage, beef broth, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, brown sugar, bay leaves, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thyme.
Helpful tips for making Cabbage Roll Soup
- Ground turkey, ground pork, or even pork sausage can be substituted for the ground beef.
- If you know, you will save some of the soup for another night’s meal split the batch before adding the rice. Plan to refrigerate the half without the rice. When you go to simmer it for another night’s dinner, add the other half of the rice and cook until it is tender.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes are tomatoes that have been charred over an open flame before being diced and canned. They are with the other canned tomatoes at your local grocery store. I love them because they really add a smokey sweetness to this soup.
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth can be substituted for the beef broth.
- To make this soup low-carb friendly, use cauliflower rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze this soup for up to 3 months in heavy-duty freezer bags Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For best results, hold back the uncooked rice. Add it when reheating the soup, so the rice does not get mushy.
More soup recipes to try!
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
This simple yet delicious Cabbage Roll Soup combines all the flavors of the classic stuffed cabbage dish using a fraction of the time and effort.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 bowls
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 cups chopped green cabbage
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the ground beef. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the cabbage, beef broth, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, brown sugar, bay leaves, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
- Ground turkey, ground pork, or even pork sausage can be substituted for the ground beef.
- If you know, you will save some of the soup for another night’s meal split the batch before adding the rice. Plan to refrigerate the half without the rice. When you go to simmer it for another night’s dinner, add the other half of the rice and cook until it is tender.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes are tomatoes that have been charred over an open flame before being diced and canned. They are with the other canned tomatoes at your local grocery store. I love them because they really add a smokey sweetness to this soup.
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth can be substituted for the beef broth.
- To make this soup low-carb friendly, use cauliflower rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze this soup for up to 3 months in heavy-duty freezer bags Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For best results, hold back the uncooked rice. Add it when reheating the soup, so the rice does not get mushy.
Keywords: how to make cabbage roll soup, cabbage roll soup recipe, easy cabbage roll soup
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This post was originally published on September 12, 2016, and was republished on February 6, 2020, with new content.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Catalina
This is definitely my favorite soup. It has all these rich flavors and it’s so delicious!
★★★★★
Tavo
Great soup! it was super tasty and even my kids asked for more!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Awesome! So glad that they liked it! Kids can be hard to please!
Gail Montero
Love the many options of which meat to use! With all the herbs added this is such a flavorful soup indeed!
★★★★★
Holley
Nothing beats a big bowl of this soup recipe! I love all the flavors and heartyness!
Lucy
So delicious and great for the chilly weather! I love this twist in cabbage rolls.
★★★★★
Janessa
Love this idea! Cabbage rolls are one of my favorite foods but they are so much work to make. This soup was easy and satisfied my craving.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Janessa! So glad that you liked the soup!
Sandra
Bravo! We absolutely loved this soup. I served it with your delicious corn muffins, and we just could not get enough.
★★★★★
Amanda
This looks perfect for those chilly winter evenings. I cannot wait to make this!
Abida
Yummy! There is so much flavor in this great soup! Such a creative recipe.
★★★★★
Autumn Murray
Yum! I haven’t had cabbage roll soup since I was a child. With the cooler weather now approaching, will pin this to make over the holidays. Thank you!
★★★★★
Fransic verso
This looks so yummy and would love to try it. Always love to try new recipes like these. Thank you for sharing!
Rose Ann Sales
Great soup. We loved it! We will make it again!
★★★★★
Tiffany Ivie
My husband bought a head of cabbage instead of iceberg lettuce (not the first time he’s done this. Ugh) So I was trying to figure out what to do with all of that cabbage. Came across this recipe & I already had all of the ingredients! I told the husband what I was making & he seemed less than enthused. He even made a snarky comment about making his own dinner. I started cooking, everything was simmering in the pot… he came in & kept asking when it would be ready. I made him a small bowl, just so he could try it. Two bites in & he made a bigger bowl. Said that I HAVE to save the recipe & make this again.
Thank you so much!! I love adding new soup recipes to my dinner rotation!!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tiffany! So glad that you and your husband liked it! You are humoring me with this story.
Lynn
Can I freeze this? Looks really good. Cabbage is super cheap this week.
Beth Pierce
Yes you can freeze it.
ali randall
I’m like you…no time to make a favorite. This soup is the perfect solution and so perfect for this time of the year. This looks chock full of deliciousness! Make this soon.
★★★★★
Tracy
This soup is so incredibly delicious and easy to make! We love cabbage rolls and anything to make it easier is a winner in my book. Thank you!
★★★★★
Alisa Infanti
Such a delicious soup. Warm and hearty for the winter!
★★★★★
Sue
This is hands down one of my favorite meals ever!!
★★★★★
Donna
This is delicious! I will be making this again and again. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Donna! Glad you enjoyed it
Anita
This is such a delicious soup and so easy. It does taste like the usual cabbage roll, but in soup form. We’ll be making this often for sure. 🙂
★★★★★
Irina
Well, you bought me with the first picture of your recipe. As a soup lover, I really appreciate this cabbage roll soup recipe. Now it is on my list to make! Thanks.
★★★★★
Suzy
We loved it! So simple to through together but so tasty too! Perfect comfort food!
★★★★★
Jessica Formicola
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was incredible! The whole family loved it- thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Jen
Love that I it is naturally gluten free!
★★★★★
Palmier
Since I’m allergic to nightshade plants, what can I use to replace the fire roasted tomatoes and tomato paste?
Beth Pierce
Just skip the fire roasted tomatoes and thicken the soup with a little cornstarch and chicken broth.
Mary
It says 1/4 cup tomato paste
Beth Pierce
Yes it does. If you feel like that is too much cut it back to suit your taste.
Dave Johnson
Cockles originated in Cahoots, wherever Cahoots is?
★★★★★
Amy
This soup is amazing as is! Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Any ideas on if this soup would freeze well??
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Amy! Yes this soup freezes well!
Theresa
Sounds delicious but is it Spicey?
Beth Pierce
I don’t think so and I don’t recall my readers saying so. To me Cajun seasoning in moderation really just flavors a dish. If you are still a little apprehensive add 1 teaspoon at a time and taste it. Adjust to your liking!
Linda
I’ll be sure to add some cornbread too! It will be even better. Ty
Beth Pierce
That does sound delicious! Especially on a cold day like today!
Bernadette
A cousin of mine posted a link to this recipe on Facebook last week, and I made it for dinner tonight – it is SO good! Very flavorful, hearty, and warming on a cold evening, and it comes together so easily. We are already looking forward to the leftovers! I’m very happy to find this site and look forward to making more of your recipes. They all look so appealing, and your directions are very clear and easy to follow. Thanks!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Bernadette! So happy that you liked the soup and my site. The pleasure is all mine
Francesca
Disregard my question.. I found my answer.. LOL
6-8 bowls per batch.. ?
Thanks again for sharing…
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!
Jan
Do you have a thought about eliminating the sausage to be healthier and taste as wonderful?
Jan
This was wonderful! I threw in some celery and left over asparagus. This is comfort food even for people in South Florida. Even though cold nights are rare we will eat this year round. I’m not the best cook but this was easy and I’m so proud of myself!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
That is awesome Jan! So glad that you enjoyed it and that you did such a great job cooking it. I find cooking therapeutic!
Becca
Love love love this! Thank you for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome!!So glad that you loved it!!
micke
what are the calories?
Beth Pierce
I finally got around to adding the calorie count on that! Sorry about the delay!!
Linda
What about using coleslaw mix as a short cut?
Gayla
I am going to use coleslaw mix.
Beth Pierce
That will work as well.
Tania
Hi there,
I live in Australia so was wondering what type of sausage to use and also cant get fire roasted tomatoes so should i just use regular canned tomatoes instead?
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the heads up. Pork sausage. I just corrected that. Sure you use canned tomatoes but I think I might kick in some cumin, chili powder and maybe a pinch of ground cayenne pepper or you could just add a little cajun seasoning. Go slow and season to taste. Thanks for stopping by!!
Laura
Do you drain the the meat at all?? It doesn’t say and normally you drain the grease off cooked beef or sausage
Beth Pierce
Yes if there is excess grease please drain it!!
Alan Ames
I added smoked paprika instead of the Cajun seasoning and added a few little meat balls!!! NICE!!!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
That sounds absolutely delicious! I should try that!
Karen
I’m making this today! It’s rainy and chilly here in South Louisiana. Movies and comfort food on the menu for the day!
Beth Pierce
Awesome!! Enjoy your fun filled comfort day!!
Karen
The soup was a huge hit! This will be a definite “go to” on busy winter days.
Kimberly
What is the weight or volume equivalent of a small head of cabbage? That is kind of subjective. Same for the onion
bpierce
Small head of cabbage weighs about 1.5 lbs. About 8 ounces for a medium onion. I hope this helps and sorry about the delay. I am a little under the weather.
Valerie Vincent
I am making this for the second time in a week….My husband and I love it!! Thank you for posting such a nice comforting soup. Will be made many times up here in cold New York!!
bpierce
You are most welcome. Glad that you like it. Try to stay warm up there!!! We have some pretty cold winters down here in Missouri!!
Jason Carty
it says 1/4 tomato paste, a 1/4 of what. is it a tsp, tbsp., cup, can.
bpierce
Opps. Never ever post recipes while you are drinking cocktails! LOL! 1/4 cup! I am fixing it right now. Thanks for the heads up!!!!
Susan
Can it be madw in a crockpot
Beth Pierce
Yes I am sure you can. I would brown the ground beef first in a skillet adding the onions the last few minutes of cooking. I would also cook the rice separately and add at serving time so it does not overcook
Petar
Probably 1/4 of a cup
Pat
It says 1/4 cup tomato paste.