Even though I grew up Serbian and Polish, I have to admit that cabbage rolls were not my jam as a child. My mother even made mine special, without the cabbage. Over time my tastes changed, and now I truly appreciate them. I’m grateful to have learned from both my Mother and my Baba how to prepare them. I took my Mom’s cabbage roll recipe and transformed it into this hearty, flavorful Cabbage Roll Soup.
Using a lot of cabbage means you’ll need plenty of liquid, and don’t stress about exact amounts, just let the soup guide you. This hearty soup recipe makes a generous pot, perfect for freezing leftovers or cutting in half if you want less, and it delivers all the comforting flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls in an easy one-pot meal.
Why You Will Love This Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
- Classic comfort food flavors – Ground beef, cabbage, rice, and tomatoes simmered together for that nostalgic taste of stuffed cabbage rolls, without the work.
- Hearty and filling – Packed with protein, vegetables, and rice, this cabbage roll soup is a complete meal in a bowl.
- Easy one-pot recipe – Everything cooks in a single pot, making cleanup quick and easy.
- Meal-prep and freezer-friendly – Make a big batch of this hearty and flavorful cabbage roll soup, and enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground beef → Try ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- V-8 juice → Use tomato juice, crushed tomatoes with extra broth, or a blend of tomato sauce and water.
- Rice → White rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
- Chicken stock → Substitute with beef broth or vegetable broth.
- Fire roasted tomatoes → Use regular diced tomatoes or tomato sauce.
- Thyme → Italian seasoning, oregano, or marjoram.
- Sour cream → Replace with Greek yogurt, or leave out for a dairy-free option.
How to Prepare Cabbage Roll Soup
- Add the ground beef to a large pot. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Break apart the meat as it browns.
- Once almost fully cooked, add the minced onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and dried thyme. Sauté for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice.
- Add the cabbage, fire roasted tomatoes, 4 cups chicken stock, 3 cups V-8 juice, and the bay leaves. Mix well.
- Bring the soup to almost a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 40–45 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Add more chicken stock or V-8 juice, as needed while it cooks.
- Taste and adjust for salt, if needed.
- Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra parsley and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
How to Serve and Store
- Serve this hearty, cabbage roll soup with fresh parsley, sour cream, or shredded cheese.
- Pair with crusty bread or cornbread.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat with a touch more broth or V-8 juice, if needed.
- Freeze: Cool completely and freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this ahead of time? Yes! This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop.
- Can I make it in a slow cooker? Yes. Brown the beef first, then add everything into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours.
- Can I use uncooked rice? Yes, the rice cooks right in the broth. If you prefer firmer rice, cook it separately and add it in at the end.
- Is this cabbage roll soup gluten-free? Yes, as long as you use gluten-free stock and check labels on canned ingredients.
- Can I make it spicy? Absolutely! Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to taste.
More Cabbage Recipes to Love
- Traditional Cabbage Rolls Halupki
- Spicy Cabbage and Rice Soup
- Ground Lamb Cabbage Rolls
- Haluski Cabbage and Noodles
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Baked Cabbage Parmesan
- Air Fryer Diced Cabbage
- Sheet Pan Cabbage and Kielbasa
- Creamy Parmesan Roasted Cabbage Wedges
Cabbage Roll Soup
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings 1x
Description
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a big bowl of Cabbage Roll Soup. All the flavors of classic stuffed cabbage rolls—ground beef, tender cabbage, tomatoes, rice, and herbs—come together in one hearty, one-pot meal. It’s warm, filling, and perfect for a family dinner, or to make ahead for the week. This simple soup recipe takes away all the extra steps of rolling cabbage but gives you the same rich, homestyle taste.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 3 cups green cabbage, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 white onion, minced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 1 carrot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup rice
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 4 1/2 cups V-8 juice, plus more as needed
- 4–5 cups chicken stock or broth, plus more as needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large pot. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Break apart the meat as it browns.
- Once almost fully cooked, add the minced onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and dried thyme. Sauté for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice.
- Add the cabbage, fire roasted tomatoes, 4 cups chicken stock, 3 cups V-8 juice, and the bay leaves. Mix well.
- Bring the soup to almost a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 40–45 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Add more chicken stock or V-8 juice, as needed while it cooks.
- Taste and adjust for salt, if needed.
- Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra parsley and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Add extra broth and/or V-8 juice if the soup thickens too much as it simmers.
- Taste as you go—seasonings can always be adjusted at the end.
- For a lower-carb option, swap rice with cauliflower rice or leave it out completely.
- Freezer tip: freeze in smaller portions for easy grab-and-heat meals.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Soup, Dinner, Meal Prep
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
GET TO KNOW ME!
WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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1 Comment
Delicious soup. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out delicious. My whole family loved it and I’m going to deliver some to a friend in need of some good, hearty comfort food.