Cabbage roll soup has all the comfort of stuffed cabbage rolls in soup form with loads of cabbage, lean ground beef, and rice in a rich tomato and beef broth.
There’s a reason stuffed cabbage soup is so popular. It has the delicious flavors, textures, and comfort of traditional cabbage rolls, yet there's no time spent rolling. There's plenty of beef and lots of cabbage. It's perfectly balanced!
It’s game changing, actually. Like, easy peasy dinner for the whole family! It could win awards on comfort alone, just like stuffed pepper soup, lasagna soup, zuppa toscana, or white chicken chili.
Cabbage roll soup ingredients
Recipe amounts are included in the printable recipe below.
- olive oil - or preferred oil
- lean ground beef - or preferred fat percentage. Feel free to substitute sausage too!
- garlic cloves - fresh garlic is recommended but a smaller amount of garlic powder would work too.
- onion - white or yellow onion
- carrots - or other vegetables as desired
- canned crushed tomatoes - canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce could be used in equal amounts
- tomato paste - not a requirement, but adds tomato richness to the soup flavor
- uncooked long grain white rice - or cooked brown rice can be added after this recipe cooks. I don't recommend instant white rice for the Instant Pot version of this recipe because it will overcook in said cooking time.
- brown sugar - or white sugar
- Worcestershire sauce - or soy sauce
- smoked paprika - for a spicy kick, use cayenne or chili powder
- chopped cabbage - use fresh green cabbage or frozen
- beef broth or beef stock - chicken or vegetable broth would work too!
- salt and pepper - add to taste
- fresh parsley - for garnish
How to make cabbage roll soup
Full recipe instructions for Instant Pot or stove are in the printable recipe below.
- Once you have ingredients chopped and ready to cook, you’ll brown the ground beef in the Instant Pot or soup pot, along with the garlic and onions.
2. Next, add carrots, white rice, tomato sauce ingredients, seasonings, cabbage, and beef broth.
3. Give everything a good stir before cooking whether you're stove cooking or pressure cooking.
4. Once it's cooked, grab some French bread and feed your army this delicious stuffed cabbage soup!
Why we love stuffed cabbage roll soup
- budget friendly - It feeds an army and uses mostly pantry staples.
- easy to scale - this recipe can easily be halved to make a 2 quart yield for
- family friendly flavors - Beef cabbage soup is seasoned mildly to make it family friendly, which makes it super customizable.
- made for Instant Pot or stove - Recipe includes the classic soup pot version AND Instant Pot method. Grab these other Instant Pot soup recipes while you're here!
Recipe tips and variations
Use sausage in place of ground beef for even more meaty flavor. Or use ground turkey for a lighter version.
Don't want sugar? Leave it out or substitute your favorite sugar alternative.
Add other vegetables to stuffed cabbage soup, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini.
Substitute white rice by adding 2 cups cooked cauliflower rice or cooked brown rice after the soup has cooked.
Add a spicy kick to your cabbage roll soup by using some cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, or chili powder in place of, or in addition to the paprika.
Feel free to season this soup any way you like. To make it family-friendly, I used mild seasonings. I'm also leaving the salt and pepper up to you because sodium in canned good varies so widely.
Can you freeze cabbage roll soup?
You sure can! In fact, and this recipe yields 4 quarts, so there’s plenty to freeze if you’re a small family. To freeze this soup, allow it to cool completely, then package into freezer safe storage containers or zip top bags. Freeze up to 90 days, or longer if vacuum sealed.
Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or preferred oil
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef (uncooked)
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 medium Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium Carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes, or tomato sauce
- 3 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 cup uncooked Long Grain White Rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar, optional
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 ½ lb. Green Cabbage, chopped (1 small head or 8 cups)
- 6 cups Beef Broth
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Parsley, for garnish
Equipment
- 6 quart Instant Pot if using pressure cooker method
- 6 quart soup pot if using stove method
Instructions
- Heat OLIVE OIL over medium high heat in 6 quart pot. (See footnotes for Instant Pot Method).
- Saute GROUND BEEF and GARLIC until beef is cooked through. Add the ONION and saute a few minutes until tender.
- If needed, drain excess grease and add a splash of broth and scrape loose any brown bits from the inside of the pot to deglaze.
- Add CARROTS, CRUSHED TOMATOES, TOMATO PASTE, RICE, BROWN SUGAR, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, PAPRIKA, CABBAGE and BROTH. Stir to combine.
- Bring just to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.
- Season with SALT and PEPPER, to taste. Serve warm garnished with CHOPPED PARSLEY.
- To store, allow soup to cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days, or freeze up to 90 days (or longer if vaccuum sealed).
Traci's Recipe Tips
- Press 'Saute' on the cooker and add OLIVE OIL.
- When display reads "Hot", add GROUND BEEF and GARLIC. Saute until beef is cooked through. Add ONIONS and saute a few minutes until tender.
- Press 'Cancel' and drain excess grease, if needed. Add a splash of broth and scrape the bottom, if needed.
- Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and stir to combine.
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Secure the lid. Turn pressure valve to "Sealing" and pressure cook on HIGH for 3 minutes followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Safely turn pressure valve to "Venting" and release any remaining steam. Press 'Cancel'.
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Open lid, stir the soup, and season with SALT and PEPPER to taste.
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Serve warm garnished with CHOPPED PARSLEY.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Llove says
Super easy to make in my Instapot and inexpensive! I made the full recipe and am freezing the leftovers. I love how quick this was to make too!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you gave it a go and love it as much as we do 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback!
James says
This recipe was very easy for a beginner to follow. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for sharing it
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm really glad to hear that, James. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
D Thomas says
So much flavor and so easy. Stuffed cabbage roll soup is going on the dinner rotation. Thank you for making my life easier 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi D! I'm so glad to hear you have a new favorite 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy!
JB says
Stuffed cabbage rolls without the work. Brilliant! Great way to sneak good-for-you cabbage into the family dinner too because it's just so good. Thanks KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! It really is a great way to eat ALL the cabbage 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy!