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Flavorful Classic Cabbage Roll Soup
All the flavors we love in our classic stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe but in a deconstructed, easy to make pot of soup!
We adore cabbage rolls but don’t always have time to assemble the ingredients in casserole form. That’s where this brilliant adaptation comes in. This cabbage roll soup is easy to make, hearty and filling making it perfect for lunch or dinner. Serve with a loaf of crusty, rustic bread for sopping up the broth!
Soup weather is finally here!
I enjoy soup year round but especially this time of year when the days are warm and the evenings are cool. There’s something special about a big pot of soup simmering away on the stove. The aroma is practically seductive as it permeates the whole house, building anticipation for what’s to come. Comfort food at it’s best!
What does cabbage roll soup taste like?
Our cabbage roll soup has a distinct sweet and sour tanginess from the addition of brown sugar and white balsamic vinegar.
The broth has a rich tomato flavor, the beef is tender, and the cabbage has a slight chewiness that I love. For this recipe we add a whole chopped sweet onion. The onion is slightly caramelized which builds the base for this flavorful soup.
Carrots and garlic round out the flavors and the whole pot is simmered to perfection.
Why do we add sugar and vinegar to cabbage roll soup?
When I was very young my grandmother told me to add a spoonful of sugar to cabbage while it cooks. This step will help ease the gassy effects of this leafy vegetable. I can’t find any scientific research supporting this old wives’ tale but I’ve always had good luck with this practice 🙂
In addition to this possible helpful benefit, a little brown sugar adds depth of flavor to this soup. It works to enhance the natural sweetness of the onions, carrots and cabbage.
The sweet and sour flavor combo is classic and beloved in many cuisines. Think Sweet and Sour Chicken, Hot and Sour Soup and one of our all time family favorites, Sweet and Sour Meatloaf. Feel free to adjust the sugar and vinegar in this soup, adding a little more if desired.
Don’t overcook the cabbage!
You don’t need to cook this soup too long, as the cabbage will become limp, pasty and produce an unpleasant smell. The soup will still be fine to eat, just a little less visually appealing.
Cabbage is great eaten raw, as in our coleslaw recipe so it doesn’t even have to be cooked! Cabbage is so versatile it can be braised, boiled, sautéed and stir-fried.
According to Healthline, cabbage is very low in calories, high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants.
Cabbage is especially high in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that may protect against heart disease, certain cancers and vision loss. So load up on the cabbage but don’t overcook it!
Thanks for PINNING!
Cabbage Roll Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (90 to 95% fat free)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced (1 heaping cup)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 1 small head cabbage, cored and rough chopped, about 6 cups
- ⅔ cups uncooked white or brown rice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-seconds.
- Add the ground beef, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) to the Dutch oven. Sauté until the ground beef is cooked through. Drain the mixture and return to the pot.
- Add the carrots, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and broth to the beef mixture. Add the cabbage and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
- Simmer the soup, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until the cabbage is just tender and the rice is cooked.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is easily cut in half if you prefer.
- Our Cabbage Roll Soup freezes well too! Be sure you don't overcook the rice especially if you plan to freeze the soup.
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you might also like:
Next time you see big, beautiful, green heads of cabbage in the market, grab one up and make this delicious Classic Cabbage Rolls Recipe.
Our fresh Minestrone Soup is full of healthy legumes, green leafy vegetables, plenty of Italian herbs, a handful of pasta, and wonderfully rich tomatoey broth.
Vegetable Soup with Lentils & Seasonal Greens – a delicious, hearty and rustic soup with vegetables simmered in a rich flavorful broth with wilted seasonal greens & lentils.
Louise
This recipe was delicious but I cooked the rice separately in chicken stock and added it to the soup as I was serving it. I have made this soup before with the rice included as indicated in the recipe, and the rice became very mushy the next day, so now I make the rice separately to keep it intact.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Louise. Great idea if you’re going to serve this over several days. I also so that with noodle soups if I can’t use it up quickly. Thanks for trying the recipe and for taking the time to comment. Bravo!
Alisa
I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out super delicious-omitted the rice and used two pounds of ground beef since beef comes a pound a package. The red pepper flakes doesn’t make it spicy just gives it an ever so slight kick. It’s super yummy. Thank you!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Alisa! So glad you enjoyed it. We appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Jolynn
The soup smelled wonderful! It was easy to make and my husband loved it. It was a little too tomatoey for me so next time I will leave out one can of the tomato sauce.
Also I needed to cut the cabbage into a little bit smaller pieces. It was a great recipe and I give it 5 stars!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Jolynn! My husband loves it too. I bet it will still be good with one less can of tomato sauce. Thanks so much for trying it and for the feedback. Have a wonderful holiday season 🙂
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I love cabbage rolls but they are a lot of work…what a terrific idea.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Karen! If you like cabbage rolls, you’ll love this soup. It tastes almost identical to the real deal 🙂
mimi rippee
Oh, I just love cabbage in soups. I cannot seriously wait to make this!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Mimi! I hope you love it too.
larry
I like cabbage rolls but don’t like the time involved in making them so this looks like a fine alternative.
Tricia Buice
It really is Larry – hope you get the chance to make it soon. Hope you and Bev are doing well!
Chris Scheuer
With all the wonderful veggies and great ingredients, this sounds like a fabulous soup that would make even the dreariest cool weather day seem wonderful! I know the aroma as it cooks is amazing!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Chris – we could eat this all winter long!
Candace
Tricia, you took the worry out of what to cook for dinner next! We’re waiting for our new professional dual fuel range and currently the only thing I have to cook with is my crockpot! Since it has a sauté feature, I should be able to adjust the recipe to the crock pot! Can’t wait to make it!
Cheers!
Tricia Buice
Wow you’re going to love your new range! So jealous 🙂 Good thing it’s coming in before the holidays. Mine oven broke two days before Thanksgiving one year – what a headache. Enjoy the soup – it’s a keeper!
Candace
Oh my, that must have been terrible! Mine has essentially been “broken” since the day we got it! Should have done gas in the first place….live and learn! I’ll let you know how the soup worked out in the crockpot!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Candace!
sue
I adore stuffed veggies, and cabbage is one of my faves! This makes the whole thing so much more do-able, love it!
Tricia Buice
Me too Sue – thank you so much!
Lauren S
I’m not a fan of ground beef, but love the sound of this soup. Do you think ground chicken would get overwhelmed in this soup or be ok?
Tricia Buice
Hi Lauren. I think ground chicken or turkey would be great here. Honestly, I don’t like ground beef myself, but I do in this recipe. The beef is very tender and flavorful in our soup. I would use ground chicken that has a mix of white and dark meat, or all dark. Thanks for the great question. Hope you enjoy!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
I love the idea of cabbage rolls soup! Cabbage rolls are delicious, but a little fiddly to make on a regular basis. I can’t wait to try this 🙂
Tricia Buice
This soup doesn’t take long to throw together and cooks quickly Jennifer – so it’s a favorite already! The flavor is spot-on for classic cabbage rolls, so winner winner we’ve got dinner!