There’s something especially comforting about a pot of cabbage roll soup simmering away on the stove.
It has everything I love about classic cabbage rolls—savory ground beef,
tender cabbage, rice, herbs, and plenty of tomato flavor—
but everything cooks together in one cozy pot. No filling cabbage leaves or carefully rolling them one by one.
I especially love this soup on a cool evening when I want dinner to feel hearty without turning it into an afternoon project.
The cabbage softens into the tomato-rich broth, the rice makes every bowl satisfying,
and a little lemon and fresh parsley brighten everything up at the end.
Add some crusty bread on the side, and it’s the kind of simple dinner I’m always happy to come back to.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love cabbage rolls but rarely feel like making them from scratch, this soup is such a nice alternative. You get that familiar combination of beef, cabbage, rice, and tomatoes, but the preparation is much more straightforward.
It’s also wonderfully hearty. Between the ground beef, vegetables, and rice, there’s plenty packed into every bowl, so it can easily stand on its own as dinner. And because everything comes together in one pot, all those savory, herby, tomato flavors have time to mingle as the soup simmers.
Another thing I love? The leftovers. The soup thickens as it rests, becoming almost stew-like, and it’s easy to loosen it with a little more beef broth when you warm it up again.
Cabbage Roll Soup Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef – gives the soup its hearty, savory base and brings in the classic flavor you expect from cabbage rolls.
- Olive Oil – used to get the beef nicely browned at the start.
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper – simple seasonings that bring out the flavors of the beef, vegetables, and broth.
- Yellow Onion – adds a mild sweetness and plenty of savory flavor as it cooks.
- Carrots – add a little natural sweetness and extra texture to every bowl.
- Cabbage – the star of the soup! It becomes wonderfully tender as it simmers and gives you that unmistakable cabbage roll flavor.
- Garlic – adds another layer of savory flavor and makes the soup especially fragrant.
- Low-Sodium Beef Broth – forms the savory base of the soup and can also be used to thin it out if it gets too thick.
- Tomato Sauce – gives the broth its rich tomato flavor and helps bring all the ingredients together.
- Petite Diced Tomatoes – add little bites of tomato throughout the soup along with even more tomato flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar – just a small amount balances the acidity of the tomatoes with a touch of sweetness.
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds a deeper, savory flavor to the beef and tomato broth.
- Paprika – brings mild warmth and another subtle layer of flavor.
- Oregano and Thyme – these herbs give the soup its cozy, aromatic flavor. You can use dried or fresh, as listed in the recipe.
- Bay Leaves – simmer in the broth to add another layer of savory, herby flavor.
- Long-Grain White Rice – makes the soup extra hearty and satisfying while naturally thickening the broth as it cooks.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – stirred in at the end for a little brightness that balances the rich tomato and beef flavors.
- Fresh Parsley – finishes the soup with fresh flavor and a pop of color.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up beef occasionally, until browned. Transfer beef to a plate lined with paper towels while reserving 2 Tbsp of the rendered fat in pot.
Next, add onion and carrots to pot and saute 2 minutes, then add cabbage and garlic and saute 3 minutes longer.
Pour in beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Return beef to soup mixture.
Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a light boil, then add rice, cover pot and reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
Finally, stir in more beef broth to thin as desired (it will thicken as it rests and become almost like a stew), then stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Give the beef time to brown. Browning the ground beef at the beginning gives the soup a savory foundation. Break it apart as it cooks, but allow it to develop some good color before transferring it from the pot.
Keep that reserved fat in the pot. The recipe calls for leaving 2 Tbsp behind after browning the beef. Use it to sauté the vegetables so that the flavor from the beef carries right through the soup.
Expect the soup to thicken. Rice continues to soak up broth as the soup sits, so don’t be surprised if yesterday’s soup looks more like a stew today. That’s exactly why the recipe allows for additional beef broth at the end.
Add the lemon and parsley last. After all those rich tomato, beef, and herb flavors have simmered together, the fresh parsley and lemon juice give the finished soup a welcome bit of freshness.
Recipe Variations
There are a few easy ways to change this soup while staying close to its original character. Ground turkey can take the place of the ground beef, and chicken broth can be used instead of beef broth.
If you have fresh herbs on hand, the ingredient list already gives you the option of using fresh oregano and thyme instead of dried. Regular diced tomatoes can also work in place of petite diced tomatoes if that’s what you have in the pantry.
For the classic version, though, I’d start with the recipe exactly as written. The combination of beef, green cabbage, white rice, tomatoes, Worcestershire, paprika, and herbs is what gives the soup its cabbage-roll-inspired flavor.
Storage & Reheating
This is a lovely soup to make when you want leftovers waiting in the fridge. Once it has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze the soup. Let it cool, spoon it into airtight freezer-safe containers, and leave about 3/4 inch of room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Warm leftovers gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Because the rice absorbs more liquid while it sits, you may want to stir in some additional beef broth as the soup reheats.
Serving Suggestions
I think this soup is at its best served piping hot with something good for dipping. A thick slice of crusty bread, warm dinner rolls, or breadsticks is perfect for soaking up that tomato-rich broth.
Because there’s already beef, rice, and plenty of vegetables in the pot, you really don’t need much else to make it a meal. If you’d like something fresh alongside it, try a simple green salad or lightly dressed vegetables.
And on a chilly night? A generous bowl of cabbage roll soup and warm bread is plenty.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I make cabbage roll soup ahead of time?
Yes, you can definitely make this soup ahead of time. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. The rice will soak up some of the broth as it sits, so simply add a little more beef broth when reheating if the soup has become too thick.
2. Do I need to cook the rice before adding it?
No, you do not need to cook the rice first. Add the 3/4 cup dry long-grain white rice straight to the pot. It will cook in the soup as it simmers for about 25 minutes, making this an easy one-pot meal.
3. How do I keep cabbage roll soup from getting too thick?
The rice will naturally absorb some of the broth while cooking and even more as the soup sits. If it gets thicker than you like, simply stir in more beef broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
4. Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Yes, ground turkey works great in this recipe. You can swap it for the ground beef if that’s what you have on hand or prefer. Just keep in mind that the flavor will be a little lighter than when made with beef.
5. How long does cabbage roll soup keep in the refrigerator?
You can store leftover cabbage roll soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. Add a little extra beef broth while reheating if needed, since the rice will continue to absorb liquid during storage.
Cabbage Roll Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 3/4 cups)
- 2 large carrots, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
- 5 cups packed chopped cabbage (16–19 oz)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, then more to thin if desired
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp dried paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme or 2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup dry long-grain white rice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Transfer the beef to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving 2 Tbsp of the rendered fat in the pot.
- Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and garlic and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the cooked beef to the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring the soup to a light boil. Add the rice, cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked through.
- Add more beef broth if you would like a thinner consistency. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits and can become almost stew-like. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then serve warm.
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Recipe Notes
