Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Stuffed Cabbage Soup is basically cabbage rolls in soup form, making it way easier and just as delicious. This soup combines ground beef, cabbage, and rice with a rich tomato-based broth that the whole family will love!
Cabbage Roll Soup
If you’re a fan of cabbage rolls, this recipe is for you. Traditional cabbage rolls are tedious and time-consuming to make – while this soup is not. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about making certain recipes that are labor-intensive. I call those a labor of love. But when it comes to weeknight cooking, time is of the essence!
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE RECIPE – This simple soup is comfort food enjoyed by many, offering the same delicious flavors as cabbage rolls but in a soup form. Some people call it “unstuffed cabbage roll soup”.
- FULL OF FLAVOR – We love the hearty flavor of this cabbage roll soup, and you will too. Really great flavor!
- NUTRIENT-DENSE – Each serving has 33 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.
- GREAT MEAL PREP – Adding leftover soup to individual meal prep containers or soup mugs makes it convenient to eat a bowl of deliciousness during the week. Our refrigerator is normally full of meal prep containers (but that’s easy to do for just the two of us).
Ingredients Used:
All of these basic ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Veggies – yellow onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and cabbage
- Ground Beef – We use 90% lean ground beef. We occasionally use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Crushed Tomatoes – I normally use fire-roasted.
- Tomato Sauce – Adds a little sweetness to balance the acidic flavors.
- Lower-Sodium Beef Broth (or beef stock)
- Worcestershire Sauce – A few shakes are good!
- Seasonings – kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes
- Cooked Rice – We use white rice but you could also use brown rice.
- Bay Leaves
How to make Stuffed Cabbage Soup:
Step 1
Prep veggies. Dice the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Chop the cabbage.
Step 2
Saute veggies and brown beef. Heat a large stock pot (or large dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced onions, bell peppers, and lean beef. Break up the beef with a wooden spoon and cook until beef is browned and the veggies are softened, approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain beef if desired.
Step 3
Add garlic and seasonings. Add the minced garlic and seasonings, and stir well. Cook for a minute or so.
Step 4
Add cabbage. Stir the cabbage into the beef mixture.
Step 5
Add tomatoes. Then add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir well. Bring soup to a rolling simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until cabbage is wilted and soft to your liking.
Step 6
Cook rice. Meanwhile, cook rice in an instant pot or on the stovetop until done.
Step 7
Add rice. Then add 2-3 cups of cooked rice and stir it into the soup. Simmer for a few minutes.
Step 8
Serve. Serve stuffed cabbage soup with some crackers or crusty bread.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. You can also freeze soup in freezer-safe containers.
Interested in making stuffed cabbage rolls? Try my friend Michaela’s stuffed cabbage rolls next!
What to serve with Stuffed Cabbage Soup:
Go with some saltine crackers or one or more of the following to pair with this delicious soup.
- Bread – Pesto Bread, Cast Iron Naan, or Garlic Sourdough Bread
- Salad – A simple green salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette, Spinach Salad Dressing, or Creamy Italian Dressing
- Dessert – Oreo Brownie Cookies, Brown Butter Pecan Cookies, or Caramel Swirl Ice Cream
Other Favorite Soup Recipes:
You can’t go wrong with any of these soup recipes on cold winter nights.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
For the beef and veggies:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper – diced
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium head of cabbage (or 8 cups) – chopped
For the broth and seasonings:
- 28 oz. fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 5 cups lower-sodium beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prep veggies. Dice the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Chop the cabbage.
- Saute veggies and brown beef. Heat a large stock pot (or large dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced onions, bell peppers, and lean beef. Break up the beef with a wooden spoon and cook until beef is browned and the veggies are softened, approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain beef if desired.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 medium red bell pepper, 2 pounds lean ground beef
- Add garlic and seasonings. Add the minced garlic and seasonings, and stir well. Cook for a minute or so.3 cloves garlic, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add cabbage. Stir the cabbage into the beef mixture.1 medium head of cabbage (or 8 cups)
- Add tomatoes. Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce – and stir well. Bring soup to a rolling simmer, add bay leaves, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until cabbage is wilted and soft to your liking.28 oz. fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, 15 oz. tomato sauce, 5 cups lower-sodium beef broth, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, 2 bay leaves
- Cook rice. Meanwhile, cook rice in an instant pot or on the stovetop until done.
- Add rice. Then add 2-3 cups of cooked rice and stir it into the soup. Simmer for a few minutes.3 cups cooked rice
- Serve. Serve stuffed cabbage soup with some crackers or crusty bread.
Another amazing soup recipe. The meal prep option for lunch makes total sense.
Agreed!