Satisfy your craving for something cozy, comforting, and delicious with cabbage roll soup.

Cabbage, beef, pork and rice are simmered in a flavorful tomato broth for the ultimate bowl of comfort food.

This easy cabbage roll soup recipe is reminiscent of my grandmother’s cabbage rolls and is the perfect meal for chilly days or cozy nights.

Growing up with a Polish grandmother, dishes like cabbage rolls, rouladen, and haluski (cabbage and noodles) were staples in our family!  Good easy simple comfort food!

  • This cabbage roll soup recipe has the same great flavors found in my grandma’s cabbage rolls made into a cozy delicious soup.
  • Easy prep, no rolling required!
  • This dish uses simple ingredients, most of which you likely have on hand.
  • It reheats and freezes well.

This Cabbage Roll Soup recipe was adapted from my favorite cabbage rolls to create a quick and easy meal without all of the work! We just simply add it to the pot and walk away; no rolling required!

Cabbage roll soup in a pot with a ladle

How to Make Cabbage Roll Soup

Meat – My grandmother always made cabbage rolls with a mixture of pork ground pork and ground beef, which is what I use in this recipe. You can use just one or the other or substitute ground turkey.

If you’d like, add a few slices of bacon, it adds a delicious smoky flavor.

  1. Brown the meat.
  2. Add the cabbage and cook for a few minutes. Add the uncooked rice, broth, tomatoes, and seasonings.
  3. Simmer until tender.

This makes a nice rich and hearty soup loaded with cabbage, meat & rice which is very thick, almost stew-like. If you’d prefer a more soupy consistency, you can add more broth.

Bread for Dipping and Dunking!

This soup pairs well with any type of bread or dinner rolls for dipping and dunking.

Leftovers

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The rice may soak up some of the broth so add a bit of water or broth if needed.

You can freeze leftover cabbage roll soup. Place individual servings in freezer bags or in an air-tight container. Freeze bags on a baking sheet and once frozen we stack them in the freezer upright to save space!

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Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Cabbage, beef, pork and rice are simmered in a flavorful tomato broth for the ultimate bowl of comfort food.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

a large pot with a lid
Large Pot
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Ingredients  

  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ pound lean ground pork or additional ground beef
  • ¾ cup uncooked long grain rice
  • 1 medium head cabbage chopped, core removed, about 8 cups
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable juice such as V8
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, brown the onion, garlic, pork, and beef over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.
  • Stir in the chopped cabbage and let cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, V8 or vegetable juice, uncooked rice, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let simmer until the rice is fully cooked, approximately 25-30 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaf and serve.

Video

Notes

This soup is thick and hearty, if you prefer a thinner soup, add more beef broth or water to reach desired consistency once the rice is cooked.
Stretch if even further add in some chopped carrots, celery, or potatoes.
If you don’t have beef broth on hand, you can substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth instead.
Freeze any leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
4.94 from 233 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 291 | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 917mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 67.3mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3.9mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Soup
Cuisine American

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Megan H says:

    I followed the recipe pretty close. Added about a tsp and a half of cayenne. My husband ate three bowls and asked me to please save the recipe and make it again.5 stars

  2. BRITTEN BRENDA says:

    I’m 61 & my family eating pig in the blankets for more year than my age .. I only put in the soup what I use to make pigs in the blankets .. it tastes awesome ..
    and I added bitter with it .. it’s hunky food many of my generations ate with out the other stuff .

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      Thanks for sharing Britten!

  3. Jo Hill says:

    Could I do this cabbage roll soup in the slow cooker

  4. Kelly Domaille says:

    This was perfect – hit the spot perfectly! I had cabbage to use and didn’t want to make actual stuffed cabbage rolls…so this was the next best thing! Amazing and I will keep this one to make again and again!5 stars

  5. Kim Gilmore says:

    This Cabbage roll soup recipe is really good. Doesn’t take long to make. I cook my Cabbage put all ingredients together but the rice. when Cabbage is cooked enough then I add rice. When adding the rice I just turn off kettle and leave the lid on it will cook in 25 minutes soup is done. Stir well Best suop!5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      So glad you enjoyed it, Kim!

  6. Debbie says:

    Love, love, love this soup!5 stars

  7. Tmc says:

    Easy, economical delicious recipe. I make it at least once a month.5 stars

  8. Becky and Jim Kosher says:

    Decided to try something still traditional for New Year’s day but with less work since there’s just me and my husband. Found your recipe for the Cabbage Roll soup and we love it We used ground turkey and brown rice. My husband decided that he wanted more vegetables in it, so he diced 3 carrots, 3 ribs of celery, and ½ lb sliced crimini mushrooms. This is such a great soup that it will definitely be made again in our home! Thanks for sharing this recipe 5 stars

  9. Lisa Sturgill says:

    Can this be fixed in a slow cooker ?

  10. Tanis Brainerd says:

    Hello- Can I substitute the beef broth with beef bone broth? If so, would it still be 4 cups?

    1. Holly Nilsson says:

      You sure can, and yes, you will still need 4 cups.

  11. Kim Carthen says:

    Very easy and makes a lot great flavor

  12. Vanessa says:

    Great soup!! Reminds me of my grandmothers cabbage rolls. I added spicy sausage for an extra kick…. So good!!

  13. Janice Williams says:

    I really enjoyed this recipe. I have made it twice now. I had to make half batches because I don’t have a large enough pot. I also used ketchup instead of tomato paste. Great comfort food for fall/winter.5 stars

  14. William says:

    Really good recipe! I grew up with cabbage rolls and cabbage patch soup and this is definitely reminiscent of those meals. Will be making this again, thanks for the recipe!!!5 stars

  15. Debbie Ennen says:

    One of the BEST I’ve every had!5 stars

  16. denise johnson says:

    Sounds delicious….can anyone tell me if you can use frozen cabbage in this recipe…I have cut up cabbage and I don’t really know if it will work….anyone know?

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      We haven’t tried this recipe with frozen cabbage before. But I believe it would work just fine. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!

      1. Josie Walter says:

        I LOVE all the recipes on this website that we have tried. The cabbage roll soup is my son’s favorite. He loves it so much I asked what he wanted for Christmas dinner he said cabbage soup! I was happy to oblige! Every recipes sounds amazing it hard to pick one but I am never disappointed!5 stars