This cabbage roll soup has all the same flavors as classic baked cabbage rolls, but with way less work! This unstuffed cabbage soup is hearty, filling and the perfect choice for an easy dinner option.

If you love cabbage rolls, but don’t love all the work involved, this quick cooking cabbage soup is for you!

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A pot full of cabbage roll soup garnished with parsley.

Baked cabbage rolls are one of those nostalgic dishes that my grandma used to make. While I love the flavors, I don’t love all the work involved. Between boiling the cabbage, making the filling, wrapping everything up and then the bake time, it can turn into an all day affair! This cabbage roll soup has all the same flavors as the classic dish, but with a fraction of the prep time.

How to make cabbage roll soup

To make your unstuffed cabbage soup, you’ll need to start with some ground beef. I use 90% lean beef, it’s got great flavor but doesn’t make the soup overly greased. The beef is browned along with some onion before the rest of the ingredients get added to the pot.

Ground beef is the basis for cabbage roll soup.

After your beef is ready to go, everything else goes into the pot, including rice, carrots, tomato, spices and of course, cabbage. Bring the whole thing to a simmer and in about 25 minutes dinner is done!

Ingredients for cabbage roll soup including beef, cabbage, vegetables and spices, all in a soup pot.

What you end up with is a rich and hearty soup that has complex flavors. I know in many cases simmering a soup for longer helps to develop the flavors, but in this case you don’t want to over-cook the soup or else the rice will get mushy.

A bowl of unstuffed cabbage soup with bread and parsley.

There is so much going on here, between the meat, veggies and rice, that it’s really a complete meal in one pot. I do often serve this cabbage roll soup with a side of crusty bread or a green salad, just to round out the meal. Even my kids love this one, they didn’t even mind the cabbage pieces which normally they might not eat.

I often make a double batch of this soup just so we have leftovers to eat for a few days, that’s how good it is! It’s absolutely perfect for a cold night, and the quick prep time makes it ideal for a busy weeknight.

More soup recipes

Cabbage Roll Soup Video


5 from 579 votes

Cabbage Roll Soup

AuthorSara Welch
A pot full of cabbage roll soup garnished with parsley.
This cabbage roll soup has all the same flavors as classic baked cabbage rolls, but with way less work! This unstuffed cabbage soup is hearty, filling and the perfect choice for an easy dinner option.
Time
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients 

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
  • 2 carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 3 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons parsley

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until beef is browned, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the cabbage, carrots, beef broth, tomato sauce, rice, bay leaf and brown sugar to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf and discard.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

  1. Recipe adapted from The Wholesome Dish.
  2. Not a fan of ground beef? Try ground turkey instead!
  3. You can substitute brown rice for white rice, but that will require about 20 more minutes of cook time.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 574mg | Potassium: 533mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3555IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2.5mg

Hello! I’m Sara!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Such a easy and delicious recipe. Waited for a nice dreary day to make this and today was it. This is a very hearty and simple recipe. I would recommend it for a beginner cook especially if you love stuffed cabbage. Alot of times when I find a recipe on pinterest it is probably a 80/20 that it will come out like it looks and described as tastes, this one did both. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely make it again. I added an extra carrot and sliced mine which added longer to the cooking time as well as a little water. If you dice your carrots you should be able to do exactly like recipe describes.

  2. 5 stars
    go++a +ell you…..+he BES+ cabbage roll soup i’ve ever seen. on a scale of 0-5….i’d give i+ a 50!

  3. 5 stars
    I have to try this. It would be so much easier, keep the recipe intact and enjoy the hearty goodness of cabbage rolls! What an awesome idea!

  4. 5 stars
    I make a lot of soups this time of year, it always warms me up and my kids love them. I have never made a cabbage soup before, but really want to try this one!

  5. This is one sumptuous meal I would love to have. It also looks really delicious and rich in taste and flavor.

  6. I love cabbage rolls from my childhood. Somehow I never tried a soup like this but it sounds amazing to me!

  7. This Cabbage Roll Soup sounds amazing. We love stuffed cabbage. Unfortunately, it can be so time-consuming I don’t really make it often. Have to give you soup a try!

  8. I’ve never heard of cabbage roll soup. It looks delicious and I love cabbage, I would give this one a try. I like a hearty soup.

  9. 5 stars
    Cabbage soup sans meat is one of the foods I enjoy regularly on my nutrition plan. It’s loaded with good veggies: cabbage, tomatoes and protein from the rice. Your recipe would be great for those days I eat meat.

  10. I need this soup in my life! It reminds me so much of my childhood and I think it’s something that I would love to recreate! It looks SO good, I’m craving for a bowl right now!

  11. 5 stars
    I don’t think I’ve ever had a cabbage soup before. I need to try it out! When it’s cold outside, I tend to make a lot of soups to help warm up.

    1. 5 stars
      Amber, last year my sister got me hooked on a dish with Thai noodles and cabbage. From there, I seemed to crave cabbage. I started making my regular homemade veggie soup and adding cabbage to it. Now I dont want it without the cabbage, and my adult family members love it also. You can cook the cabbage down some and add to your soup to finish cooking, or after your meat is browned and seasoned add the cabbage to that to cook down some, then add your broth / water and other items to finish. I bet you will love it too.

  12. It’s a hearty and filling soup that’s perfect for the cold weather. I’ve always liked cabbage roll soup and I’d love to give this one a go, especially since it doesn’t take much time to prepare!

  13. Cabbage rolls are tasty as it is but in soup form… must be absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try making this soon.

  14. My husband has finally come around to loving cabbage. This soup would be perfect for our cold winter days we have been having around our area.

  15. 5 stars
    Your Cabbage Roll Soup looks delicious and is much easier to make than cabbage rolls. I love the idea and I know my family will enjoy it too. We sure do love a hearty bowl of soup during all this cold weather.

  16. That sounds like a hearty winter meal idea. I am not sure if my kids will love it, but my husband and I will so maybe I will make it for an at home date night!

  17. 5 stars
    My family loves cabbage, and growing up I ate cabbage like every Sunday. I like your recipe and I will try one with the meat for the kids and without for me.

  18. 5 stars
    I’m a huge fan of cabbage rolls so I can’t wait to try this cabbage roll soup! I love how this a simpler way of preparing cabbage rolls.

    1. I love and make cabbage rolls 3 or 4 times a year. I never make stuffed cabbage without making stuffed green peppers.
      I want to add green peppers to your recipe. When should I add the peppers? In the beginning with the ground beef. Or afterwards with everything else.
      Thank you in advance.

      1. 5 stars
        Hi sara,
        Are u supposed to cook rice cabbage or carrots before you add to pot bc mine
        came out crunchy