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This Stuffed Cabbage Soup is based off my Cabbage Rolls recipe. It is equally hearty and tasty as it is comforting! This one-pot meal is made with cooked cabbage, ground beef, rice, tomato sauce and simple seasonings. Delicious served with Garlic Bread!
But Wait, What is Stuffed Cabbage Soup?
Stuffed Cabbage Soup is a comforting and hearty soup made by combining the ingredients typically used in traditional stuffed cabbage rolls (ground meat, white rice, and green cabbage) but deconstructed in a beef broth. This technically “unstuffed cabbage soup” is often made with beef or pork, and includes vegetables such as onions, garlic, and tomato sauce. If you have some homemade bone broth on hand, this would be a great way to use it!
Ingredients Needed
Making cabbage rolls can be a tedious task, but this cabbage soup only takes about 10 minutes of prep time! This recipe makes enough for 8 servings, so if you’re feeding a larger crowd, feel free to make a double batch of this soup. You may need to split it into 2 stock pots or large dutch oven. Here’s the list of basic ingredients you’ll need:
- olive oil– used to sauté the onions with the ground beef.
- large onion– for fragrant flavor.
- ground beef- I used 85/15 but feel free to use a leaner beef you you prefer
- salt and black pepper- to taste.
- garlic– for fragrant flavor.
- beef stock- or beef broth. If you have Homemade bone broth, this is the perfect way to use it!
- tomato sauce– 15 oz can adds tomato flavor and thickens the soup slightly.
- bay leaves– for flavoring while cooking.
- shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix– I prefer the bagged cabbage or coleslaw mix because it’s so easy and ready to go! If you have or see Napa cabbage (a Chinese cabbage) in your local grocery store, use that!
- long grain white rice– brown long grain rice works here too. Use what you prefer.
How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Soup
My whole family loves this recipe and we add it to our regular rotation of soup during the winter months. For full recipe details including ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step by step what to expect when making this recipe:
Brown Ground Beef + Onion
Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and add olive oil. Add onion, ground beef, salt and pepper. Break apart the beef as it cooks and browns.
Add in Remaining Ingredients
Once beef is fully cooked and onions are tender, add in minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (beef stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, shredded cabbage, rice and more salt and pepper).
Bring to a Boil, Then Simmer
Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer stirring frequently until it comes to a boil to prevent rice from sticking and scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve (be sure to remove bay leaves!).
Storing Stuffed Cabbage Soup
As the rice sits it will keep absorbing more of the broth. So, the leftovers will be thick like a stew. For some that will be totally fine, but, if you prefer a thinner soup consistency, you may want to add a little more broth or tomato sauce to thin it out a bit as you reheat it.
To store any leftover soup, place soup it an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in individual portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat frozen soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and then heat it on the stove or in the microwave. Be sure to stir the soup occasionally to ensure that it heats evenly.
FAQ’s About the Best Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Yes! Brown rice is totally acceptable! Use what you have/prefer.
This soup can also be made with ground turkey or chicken to lighten it up. You can also add ground pork to add a bit more spice.
Yes! I would suggest adding all the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. If you precooked the ground beef before adding, it’ll need less time in the slow cooker.
Loved this soup? Give these recipes a try:
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Zuppa Toscana
This hearty rich soup is full of comforting flavors perfect for those cold winter nights! Be sure to print/save/bookmark or share to keep handy. Oh, and Happy New Year! Enjoy, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 16 oz shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix
- 1/3 cup long grain white rice
Instructions
- Preheat large pot over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and add olive oil. Add onion, ground beef, salt and pepper. Break apart the beef as it cooks and browns.
- Once beef is fully cooked and onions are tender, add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in beef stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, shredded cabbage, rice and more salt and pepper.
- Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer stirring frequently until it comes to a boil to prevent rice from sticking and scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.
I’m a Co-Chair of a community kitchen and I made this recipe and it’s delicious so we are going to up it to serve 200. We are looking for simple meals to prepare and I think we could add more rice to thicken it for our meal containers. I made it with ground turkey but I’m going to try it with hamburger! Great recipe for lots of people too!
Gail, I love this so much!! Thank you for sharing that. 🙂
Wonderful!!! I made it exactly as written. I’m glad I made a double recipe. My family devoured it. This will definitely go into the rotation.
Delicious and easy recipe!
I made the Cabbage Roll soup and my family Love it it was 😋 Thankyou….Doreen
What size can tomato sauce should I use? The tomato sauce link doesn’t provide any details, because it states that the product is not available.
I was wondering the same thing. I ended up using a 680ml can and it was the perfect amount. Hope this helps!