Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

This Cabbage Roll Soup has everything you love about traditional stuffed cabbage rolls—savory ground beef, tender cabbage, tomatoes, rice, and a rich seasoned broth—without all the rolling and stuffing. It’s an easy one-pot dinner that’s hearty, filling, and perfect for cooler weather.

What Does Cabbage Roll Soup Taste Like?

Think of this recipe as deconstructed stuffed cabbage rolls in soup form.

Traditional cabbage rolls usually combine cabbage leaves with seasoned meat, rice, and tomato sauce. This soup puts those same ingredients into one pot, so you get tender cabbage, beef and rice in almost every spoonful.

The tomato-based broth is savory and slightly sweet with plenty of flavor from the beef, garlic, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce.

Recipe Summary

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium head green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups beef broth

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 bay leaf

Fresh parsley, for serving

How to Make Cabbage Roll Soup

1. Brown the ground beef

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.

Drain excess grease if necessary.

2. Add the onion and garlic

Add the diced onion to the beef and cook for about 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

3. Add the cabbage

Add the chopped cabbage and carrots. It may look like a lot of cabbage at first, but it will shrink considerably as it cooks.

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to soften.

4. Build the tomato broth

Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

Stir everything together.

The small amount of brown sugar is optional, but it helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and gives the soup more of that classic cabbage-roll flavor.

5. Add the rice

Stir in the uncooked rice and add the bay leaf.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer for approximately 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage and rice are tender.

6. Finish and serve

Remove the bay leaf.

Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. If it has become thicker than you like, stir in another splash of beef broth.

Spoon into bowls and finish with chopped fresh parsley.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic first.

Transfer it to the slow cooker along with the cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.

Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.

For the best texture, cook the rice separately and stir it into the soup near the end.

What to Serve With Cabbage Roll Soup

Cabbage Roll Soup is filling enough to serve as a complete meal, but it’s especially good with crusty bread or warm dinner rolls for soaking up the tomato broth.

You can also serve it with garlic bread, cornbread, a simple green salad, or roasted vegetables.

For an extra-rich finish, add a small spoonful of sour cream to each bowl.

Do You Cook the Rice Before Adding It?

No. For this recipe, the rice goes into the soup uncooked.

Cooking the rice directly in the broth allows it to absorb the tomato and beef flavors.

However, rice continues absorbing liquid after cooking. If you plan on having several days of leftovers, you can cook the rice separately and add it to individual bowls instead.

Can I Make Cabbage Roll Soup Without Rice?

Absolutely.

You can leave the rice out completely for a lighter cabbage and beef soup.

You can also replace it with:

Brown rice

Quinoa

Cauliflower rice

Barley

Keep in mind that different grains have different cooking times.

Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead of Beef?

Yes. Ground turkey or ground chicken can replace the ground beef.

Beef provides the richest flavor, but turkey makes an excellent lighter version. If using very lean turkey, you may want to add a little additional olive oil when browning it.

Storage

Allow leftover soup to cool before transferring it to an airtight container.

Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

The rice will continue absorbing broth as it sits, so the soup will become thicker overnight. Add a little beef broth or water while reheating to loosen it back up.

Can You Freeze Cabbage Roll Soup?

Yes. Cabbage Roll Soup freezes well, although the rice can become softer after thawing.

For the best freezer-friendly version, prepare the soup without the rice, freeze it, and add freshly cooked rice after reheating.

Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cabbage is best for Cabbage Roll Soup?
Green cabbage is the best choice. It becomes tender without completely disappearing into the soup.

Can I use leftover cooked rice?
Yes. Add cooked rice during the final 5–10 minutes so it has enough time to heat through without becoming mushy.

Why is my Cabbage Roll Soup too thick?
The rice absorbs broth as it cooks and continues absorbing liquid during storage. Simply add more beef broth until you reach your desired consistency.

Can I make it spicy?
Yes. Add crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or diced hot peppers.

Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. If you're specifically meal-prepping it, cook and store the rice separately. This keeps the broth from becoming overly thick.

Final Thoughts

If you love stuffed cabbage but don't want to spend time filling and rolling individual cabbage leaves, Cabbage Roll Soup gives you the same comforting combination in a much easier form.

The beef, rice, tender cabbage, and tomato broth make it especially good for fall and winter, while the one-pot preparation makes it practical for a weeknight dinner.