About this recipe
Craving the cozy, savory flavors of cabbage rolls but don't have the patience to stand around rolling them? Yeah, me neither. This Cabbage Roll Soup gives you all that classic, hearty flavor in a fraction of the time. It is a straight-up lifesaver on busy weeknights when you want comfort food fast. Ready in about 50 minutes, this one-pot meal throws ground beef, tender cabbage, and rice into a rich, tomato-y beef broth. The brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce are the real stars here—balancing out the acidity of the tomatoes and bringing a deep, savory punch that makes the broth incredible.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 2 large carrots (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 cups green cabbage (chopped)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional finish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef
I usually grab 85/15 ground beef for this. It has enough fat for flavor but doesn't make the soup incredibly greasy.
Cabbage
Standard green cabbage works best here. Chop it into small, bite-sized pieces so it fits easily on your spoon.
Equipment
Large pot
A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven works perfectly.
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Instructions
Brown the beef
In a large pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until it gets some good color and is fully cooked through. Don't skip breaking it apart into small crumbles as it cooks—this ensures you get a little bit of beef in every spoonful. Drain any heavy grease if needed.
Cook aromatics
Toss the diced onion and carrots straight into the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. You want the onions translucent and the carrots just starting to soften. Stir in the minced garlic, paprika, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for one more minute until you can really smell the garlic.
5 minute timer
Add cabbage and liquids
Pile in the chopped green cabbage, diced tomatoes (undrained!), tomato sauce, and beef broth. This is also when you add the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce—these two balance the tomato acidity perfectly.
Simmer
Bring the whole pot to a steady boil, then drop the heat down low. Let it gently simmer for 15 minutes. You are looking for the cabbage to soften up but not turn into complete mush.
15 minute timer
Add rice
Stir in the uncooked white rice. Keep it at a low simmer for another 15 to 18 minutes. Check the rice for doneness—it should be perfectly tender and have soaked up some of that amazing broth.
18 minute timer
Finish and serve
Give it a taste and add a little more salt or pepper if it needs it. If you want a brighter finish, squeeze in a little lemon juice. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve it piping hot.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the brown sugar
Tomatoes can be super acidic. That tiny bit of brown sugar doesn't make the soup sweet—it just rounds out the harshness so the savory flavors shine.
Tips
- Do not go overboard with the rice. It expands like crazy as it cooks and will turn your soup into a thick stew if you add extra.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil will obliterate the cabbage and make the ground beef tough.
- Have extra beef broth on hand. The rice continues to absorb liquid as the soup sits, so you might need a splash when reheating.
Substitutions
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if you want something a bit lighter.
- Use brown rice instead of white, but keep in mind you will need to add more broth and simmer it for about 45 minutes total.
- Make it low-carb by skipping the rice entirely and stirring in cauliflower rice during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Storage
Refrigerator
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The rice will soak up some liquid, so keep extra broth handy.
Freezer
Freeze sturdy portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Warm it up gently on the stove over medium-low heat. Splash in a little beef broth or water if it looks too thick.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 bowl
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 24g
- Carbohydrates
- 32g
- Fat
- 15g
- Fiber
- 5g
- Sugar
- 10g
- Sodium
- 840mg
FAQ
Can I make Cabbage Roll Soup ahead of time?
Oh, definitely. It honestly tastes better the next day after the flavors hang out. Just remember the rice drinks up the broth as it sits, so you'll probably need to thin it out a bit when reheating.
Can I use leftover cooked rice instead?
For sure. Just stir your pre-cooked rice into the pot during the last few minutes of simmering, right until it's heated through.
How do I keep the soup from getting too thick?
It's all about the broth. If it sits on the stove or in the fridge, the rice will absorb moisture. Just splash in some extra beef broth when you reheat it to loosen things back up.
Recipe Card
Cabbage Roll Soup
A cozy, savory one-pot meal packed with ground beef, tender cabbage, and rice in a rich tomato broth.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Category
- Soup Recipes
- Cuisine
- American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget-friendly
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 2 large carrots (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 cups green cabbage (chopped)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional finish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the beef: In a large pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until it gets some good color and is fully cooked through. Don't skip breaking it apart into small crumbles as it cooks—this ensures you get a little bit of beef in every spoonful. Drain any heavy grease if needed.
- Cook aromatics: Toss the diced onion and carrots straight into the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. You want the onions translucent and the carrots just starting to soften. Stir in the minced garlic, paprika, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for one more minute until you can really smell the garlic.
- Add cabbage and liquids: Pile in the chopped green cabbage, diced tomatoes (undrained!), tomato sauce, and beef broth. This is also when you add the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce—these two balance the tomato acidity perfectly.
- Simmer: Bring the whole pot to a steady boil, then drop the heat down low. Let it gently simmer for 15 minutes. You are looking for the cabbage to soften up but not turn into complete mush.
- Add rice: Stir in the uncooked white rice. Keep it at a low simmer for another 15 to 18 minutes. Check the rice for doneness—it should be perfectly tender and have soaked up some of that amazing broth.
- Finish and serve: Give it a taste and add a little more salt or pepper if it needs it. If you want a brighter finish, squeeze in a little lemon juice. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve it piping hot.
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