Cabbage Roll Soup – same flavors as classic baked cabbage rolls, but a lot Easier.

Cabbage Roll Soup is a cozy, comforting dinner that will warm you up on chilly days. This unstuffed cabbage soup gives you all those classic cabbage roll flavors but in a way that’s super easy and quick to make!

It’s packed with plenty of chopped veggies, broth, tomato sauce, ground beef, and rice — making it a hearty winner for any night. We love pairing this soup with our simple, fluffy 30-minute dinner rolls for a complete, satisfying meal.

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This soup is truly amazing! I’ve made it more than once, and every time it feels like a warm hug straight to my belly!

This recipe is so straightforward, which is one big reason I love it. You just brown your ground beef, add your veggies, broth, and tomato sauce, then let it simmer for about 25 minutes. My whole family can’t get enough of it!

We use a trusty Dutch oven to make this soup, but honestly, any soup pot with a lid works just fine.

There’s nothing quite like a hot bowl of Cabbage Roll Soup to chase away the chill on a crisp evening — it’s got all those classic, comforting flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but without the fuss of stuffing and rolling. This one-pot wonder is perfect for busy nights. You just brown some ground beef, toss in chopped cabbage, carrots, rice, broth, and tomato sauce, then let it simmer for about 25 minutes. From start to finish, it comes together in roughly 45 minutes, giving you a hearty, family-friendly dinner that’s perfect for leftovers stretching through the week.

Keep reading, and I’ll walk you through everything: a simple ingredient list, easy step-by-step directions (whether you use a Dutch oven or any big pot), handy tips and tricks, smart ingredient swaps, and how to store or freeze your leftovers. There’s even a quick video you can follow along with. Serve it alongside some warm dinner rolls, and you’ve got a dinner that’s cozy, filling, and totally fuss-free.

Comforting, Easy Weeknight Meal

This delicious unstuffed cabbage roll soup brings all the cozy flavors you love from cabbage rolls but cuts way down on the effort. It’s hearty, family-friendly, and uses simple ingredients that won’t break the bank: ground beef, cabbage, carrots, rice, and tomato sauce. Plus, it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish, so it’s great for weeknight meals or when you want something that can easily be reheated or frozen.

• Comforting, filling, and perfect for busy families.
• Easy one-pot recipe using everyday pantry staples.
• Ready fast, plus great for leftovers or meal prep.
• Super adaptable — switch up ingredients to suit your tastes or what you have.

What Goes Into the Soup

• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chopped green cabbage
• 2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

How to Make the Soup

1. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
3. Add diced onion and minced garlic; cook 2–3 minutes until onions soften.
4. Stir in chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, tomato sauce, beef broth, uncooked white rice, bay leaf, and brown sugar; mix well.

5. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered about 25 minutes, until rice and vegetables are tender.

   

6. Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and stir before serving.

Smart Tips for Best Results

• Use lean ground beef as the recipe suggests, or if you only have regular ground beef, brown it well and drain off the extra fat to avoid greasy broth.
• Getting a nice brown crust on your meat and sautéing the onions and garlic first helps build great flavor right from the start—just like in our Old Fashioned Beef Stew.
• Pick low-sodium beef broth so you can control how salty your soup gets. Always taste and adjust before serving!
• Chop your cabbage and carrots into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly in about 25 minutes.
• To keep rice from turning mushy in leftovers, cook rice separately and stir it into your bowl when serving (the same trick we use in Stuffed Pepper Soup), or freeze soup portions without rice and add fresh rice when reheating.
• If you want a thicker soup, let it simmer a little longer without the lid or scoop out some veggies, mash them, and stir them back in to thicken things up.
• Cool the soup completely before freezing. Freeze leftovers in individual portions on a tray, then stack once frozen so reheating is a breeze.

Mix-Ins and Ingredient Swaps

• Swap out ground beef for ground turkey, pork, or mild Italian sausage if you want to switch things up (see how sausage transforms the broth in this sausage tortellini soup).
• For a meatless version, use cooked lentils or canned beans and swap the beef broth for vegetable broth.
• Try diced or crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce for a chunkier, more textured soup, or add a little tomato paste for a deeper tomato punch—you can see similar techniques in this roasted tomato soup.
• Swap white rice for quinoa, barley, or cook the rice separately and add when serving for different texture and a nutrition boost.
• For a tangier, more traditional cabbage roll taste, stir in a splash of Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, or a spoonful of sauerkraut at the table.

How to Store and Reheat

Yep! This cabbage roll soup freezes wonderfully. Once your soup is fully cooked and cooled, portion it into freezer-safe bags or containers. Lay them flat on a tray to freeze evenly. After they’re solid, stack them to save space. This makes it easy to grab a single serving for lunch or dinner on a busy day. When you’re ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or gently heat on the stove.

What Is A Dutch Oven?

A Dutch oven is kind of like a super sturdy, heavy pot—usually made of cast iron—with a tight-fitting lid. It’s perfect for one-pot meals like this cabbage roll soup because it holds heat evenly and retains moisture, helping your soup develop rich flavor as it simmers—think classics like Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

Cabbage Roll Soup Video

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I make this ahead or freeze it? A: Absolutely! Cabbage roll soup freezes really well. Just cool the soup completely before portioning it into freezer bags or containers and freezing. Store in the fridge for 3–4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To keep rice from getting mushy, you can leave it out when freezing and add fresh rice when reheating.

Q: Can I use pre-cooked rice? A: Yes! Just stir in pre-cooked rice right before serving so it doesn’t soak up too much liquid and turn soggy.

Q: Can I make this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot? A: For slow cooker: brown the meat and sauté onions and garlic first, then dump everything in and cook on low for 4–6 hours (for timing and texture tips, see our Slow Cooker Hearty Chicken Soup). For an Instant Pot or pressure cooker: brown the beef, add all ingredients except rice, cook according to your model’s soup setting, then stir in cooked rice after.

Q: Is this recipe gluten-free? A: It can be! Just use gluten-free beef broth and tomato sauce, and always check labels to avoid hidden gluten sources.

Q: How do I keep the soup from being too acidic from the tomato sauce? A: The brown sugar in the recipe helps balance acidity. You can adjust the sugar amount to taste, or add a little baking soda pinch carefully while stirring, but always taste as you go. For more on balancing tomatoes, see our Best Tomato Soup Recipe.