Hearty Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe — Classic Comfort in One Pot

Truly this Cabbage Roll Soup is the best meal during the cold winter months. It’s easy to make and loaded with plenty of beef and veggies. This will be a fast family favorite.

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What You’ll Love About Cabbage Roll Soup:

Where did cabbage roll soup come from?

Good question — the exact origin is unclear. Cabbage roll soup is a lighter, faster take on traditional cabbage rolls, which appear in many Eastern European cuisines. Classic cabbage rolls are typically filled with meat, rice, and seasonings, then simmered in a tangy sauce. Variations exist across countries: some use beef, pork, or lamb, while others may feature rice or different spice blends.

Growing up, my mom made incredible cabbage rolls. They were a beloved family dish, though they required time and patience. This Cabbage Roll Soup captures that same comforting flavor with far less effort.

Unlike the hands-on process of rolling cabbage leaves, this soup comes together in one pot. A few chopped vegetables, ground meat, tomato sauce and broth simmer until tender. The result is a rich, warming broth with tender vegetables and seasoned meat — a meal you’ll make again and again.

Ingredients For Cabbage Roll Soup:

• Olive oil
• Lean ground beef (or turkey, pork, or lamb)
• Onion
• Green pepper
• Carrots
• Garlic clove
• Green cabbage
• Tomato sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Italian seasoning
• Brown sugar
• White rice
• Beef stock
• Parsley

Substitutes and variations:

This soup is great for using extra vegetables from the fridge. Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, pork, or lamb depending on preference. You can use brown rice, but cook it separately and add it at the end so it doesn’t overcook. For a lower-carb version, replace rice with cauliflower rice and use a brown sugar substitute if desired. Adjust seasonings to taste — this recipe is very flexible.

Step by step How To make Cabbage Roll Soup:

Step 1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Drain excess grease if needed.

Step 2. Add diced onion, green pepper, and carrots. Cook until the carrots begin to soften, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook one more minute. Add chopped cabbage, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, rice, and beef stock. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Step 3. Stir in chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

What to serve with Cabbage Roll Soup:

This soup is a satisfying meal on its own, but a slice of toasted sourdough or crusty French bread is perfect for soaking up the flavorful broth.

Can I freeze Cabbage Roll Soup?

Yes — this soup freezes very well. Cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers. It will keep up to 6 months. Reheat gently on the stove until warmed through.

Other Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Mom’s Hamburger Soup
• Lasagna Soup Recipe
• Baked Potato Soup
• Hearty Vegetable Soup with Couscous

Let’s eat!

Cabbage Roll Soup

Truly this Cabbage Roll Soup is the best meal during the cold winter months. It’s easy to make and loaded with plenty of beef and veggies. This will be a fast family favorite.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 611kcal

Author: The Menu Maid

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ medium onion, diced small
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups chopped green cabbage
• 3 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ cup white rice
• 4 ½ cups beef stock
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat a large soup pot to medium heat and add olive oil. Brown ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease.
• Add onions, peppers, and carrots. Cook until carrots are softened, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add cabbage, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, rice, and beef stock. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Add parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Notes

Tips:

Substitutes and variations —

Use this recipe to use up extra vegetables. Ground turkey works well as a lean substitute. If using brown rice, cook it separately and add at the end. For a lower-carb option, swap rice for cauliflower rice and substitute brown sugar with your preferred alternative.

Freezing soup —

Portion soup into freezer-safe containers with tight lids. It will keep up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat gently on the stove.

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate and should be considered approximate.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	611
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32.6g	42%
Saturated Fat 5g	25%
Cholesterol 15mg	5%
Sodium 703mg	31%
Total Carbohydrate 75.1g	27%
Dietary Fiber 3.4g	12%
Total Sugars 58.6g
Protein 9.2g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 119mg	9%
Iron 5mg	28%
Potassium 539mg	11%

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcal

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