Cabbage Roll Soup tastes just like traditional stuffed cabbage but in the soup form. This hearty soup recipe is loaded with ground beef, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, and rice. A delicious alternative when you are craving comfort food, but don’t want to spend hours making cabbage rolls.
We love stuffed cabbage in my home. So it was only natural that I transform it into a hearty bowl of soup. This cabbage roll soup takes all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls and transforms them into a hearty, one-pot wonder that’s easy to make and even easier to enjoy. When I’m craving a golumpki (known in Polish as gołąbki) this soup totally fulfills it. Even if you are not familiar with stuffed cabbage, but you like ground beef, rice, cabbage, and tomatoes you’ll love this soup.
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Why this Recipe Works
Time-saving Twist: Experience the delightful flavors of cabbage rolls without the hassle of stuffing each individual leaf—this soup simplifies the process and saves time.
Versatility: This soup recipe is highly adaptable, allowing you to customize the ingredients to your taste, making it perfect for various dietary preferences and restrictions.
Cold-Weather Comfort: With its rich tomato base, tender cabbage, and a medley of spices, this soup is a satisfying and heartwarming meal for those chilly winter nights.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – One pound of lean ground beef is all you need to create this hearty soup recipe.
- Tomatoes – I used a can of diced tomatoes as well as tomato sauce to give that rich tomato base.
- Cabbage – One head of cabbage cut into 1-inch chunks boil down perfectly. I love the balance it gives.
- Rice – A half cup of rice will be more than enough for this pot of soup. This is one soup where I cook the rice in the broth.
- Broth – Beef broth brings out the ground beef and also is the prefect base.
- Onion – One onion diced, will caramelize and cook with the beef adding an additional layer of flavor.
Directions
In a large stock pot begin to cook the lean ground beef on medium heat. Breaking up the ground beef into bite-size pieces. After about 5 minutes of cooking while it’s halfway brown add in the diced onion. Continue to saute and break up the meat.
Drain any excess oil from the pot.
Add the chopped cabbage to the pot and mix it. Then add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Pour the beef broth into the pot. Then mix well.
Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes (stirring occasionally).
Once the cabbage is partially cooked add in the rice. Cook for an additional 15 minutes stirring often until rice is cooked. Divide soup evenly among bowls and enjoy.
FAQs
Yes, cabbage freezes fine in soup. You can freeze it up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.
For the most part, yes. The longer you simmer soup the longer the flavors will blend together making for an even more flavorful soup.
When you leave the lid off the liquid will evaporate quicker. If you simmer the soup with the lid on it will keep the broth from evaporating therefor leaving you with more broth.
Absolutely! You can use plant-based ground meat substitutes and vegetable broth to create a vegetarian or vegan version of this soup.
Yes, you can experiment with green, red, or savoy cabbage for unique flavors and textures.
Cabbage Roll Soup tastes like a comforting blend of savory ground meat, the natural sweetness of cabbage, and the aromatic medley of herbs and spices, all simmered in a rich, tomato-based broth that will transport your taste buds to a cozy, homemade meal.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks when making my stuffed cabbage soup recipe.
- Cabbage – If you can only find a large head of cabbage use only half. Make sure you cut the pieces into bite-size pieces.
- Rice – If I have cooked rice on hand I will add it to the soup once the cabbage is cooked. This will reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes.
- Broth – This soup is a thick and hearty soup. Therefor, the next day you will find it more stew like as the rice will absorb all the broth. You have two options. You can add an additional 32 ounce box of beef broth to the soup the next day as you reheat it OR you can simply leave the rice out and just add it to individual bowls. This will ensure that the rice does not absorb the broth.
What to serve with Stuffed Cabbage Soup
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Cabbage Roll Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Soup Ladle
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 Small Head of Cabbage chopped into bite-size pieces
- 15 ounces Diced Canned Tomatoes
- 15 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 64 ounces Beef broth
- ½ cup White Rice
Instructions
- In a large stock pot begin to cook the lean ground beef on medium heat. Breaking up the ground beef into bite-size pieces. After about 5 minutes of cooking while it's halfway brown add in the diced onion. Continue to saute and break up the meat.1.25 pounds Lean Ground Beef, 1 Onion
- Drain any excess oil from the pot.
- Add the chopped cabbage to the pot and mix it. Then add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour the beef broth into the pot. Then mix well.1 Small Head of Cabbage, 15 ounces Diced Canned Tomatoes, 15 ounces Tomato Sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, 64 ounces Beef broth
- Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes (stirring occasionally).
- Once the cabbage is partially cooked add in the rice. Cook for an additional 15 minutes stirring often until rice is cooked. Divide soup evenly among bowls and enjoy.½ cup White Rice
Notes
- Cabbage – If you can only find a large head of cabbage use only half. Make sure you cut the pieces into bite-size pieces.
- Rice – If I have cooked rice on hand I will add it to the soup once the cabbage is cooked. This will reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!