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    Home » Soup Recipes

    Cabbage Roll Soup

    BY: Ben Rayl UPDATED: February 12, 2025 58 Comments

    RecipeVideoPrintComments
    5 from 12 votes

    If you've never tried cabbage roll soup, you have been missing out! This hearty soup is super easy to prepare by throwing some ground beef, fresh veggies, and broth together in a pot, letting it simmer for an hour, and voilà, you have an utterly delicious rich flavorful beef soup for lunch or dinner.

    cabbage soup serve in a brown bowl
    Delicious Unstuffed "Cabbage Roll" Soup by Comfortable Food

    If you love comfort soup, my Greek lemon chicken soup is creamy, ready in 30 minutes, and tastes fantastic. And my chicken and biscuits has a lovely sweet and spicy combination that is mouth watering.

    Contents
    • ⭐ Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
    • 🍽 What you need
    • 🔪 How to make cabbage roll soup
    • 💭 Cooking tips
    • 🥗 What to serve with
    • 📖 3 Delicious Variations
    • 🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating
    • 🍳 Related Comfort Recipes
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 🎥 Video
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ⭐ Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup

    Soups are perfect for fall and colder weather conditions to warm you up, whether for lunch, dinner, or supper, and this unstuffed cabbage roll soup recipe is as good as any soup you will ever try! The recipe combines similar ingredients to traditional cabbage rolls, but instead of making rolls and baking them, you bring all the ingredients together in a large pot with beef broth.

    It takes a little over an hour to cook, and the majority of that time needs no attention at all, as it simmers away, letting all those comforting flavors combine to create an irresistible broth. If you love making soups as much as I do, check out my other amazingly delicious Greek lemon chicken soup.

    🍽 What you need

    Apart from a large pot, all you need is some winter warming vegetables to create this rich and hearty soup.

    Equipment

    • Large soup pot or stockpot
    • Wooden spoon

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 2 stalks celery - chopped fine
    • 16 ounces kidney beans - not drained
    • ½ head green cabbage - chopped
    • 1 can tomatoes - including liquid 28 ounces
    • 1 cup water tomato can worth
    • 4 cubes beef bouillon
    • parsley fresh - for garnish

    🔪 How to make cabbage roll soup

    Learn how to make cabbage roll soup in just over an hour with my guided instructions and video walkthrough. Unstuffed cabbage soup is a no-fail recipe, tastes exactly like homemade cabbage rolls, and I love the tender cabbage.

    Instructions

    Step 1
    Start by melting the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until browned.

    ground beef in a pot with wood spoon
    Browning ground beef adds flavor and depth

    Step 2
    Mix in the garlic powder, garlic salt, chopped celery, kidney beans and stir.

    ground beef with celery and kidney beans
    Add in spices, beans and chopped cabbage

    Step 3
    Chop cabbage, add to pot and stir to combine.

    fresh head of cabbage on cutting board, cut into small pieces
    Lovely cabbage, chopped and ready to add to stock pot.

    Step 4
    Add canned tomatoes, water, and beef bouillon. Stir to incorporate.

    cabagge with tomatoes in a pot
    Some tomato and beef bouillon goodness and time to cook.

    Step 5
    Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.

    Step 6
    Serve warm with some chopped fresh parsley.

    piping hot bowl of cabbage roll soup ready to eat
    Serve and enjoy this comfort food with friends and family.

    Substitutions

    • For a fuller cabbage roll soup recipe, add in half a cup of brown rice or white rice. You will also need to add another cup of water.
    • You can substitute the butter for 1 tablespoon of olive oil if you prefer.
    • If you're on a low sodium diet, opt for a low sodium beef broth instead of beef bouillon cubes.
    • You can substitute the ground beef for other meats like ground turkey, chicken, or sausage and combine it with chicken broth instead of beef.

    💭 Cooking tips

    • If you prefer to use fresh garlic instead of garlic salt and powder, I recommend using 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
    • Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and light brown sugar to the cabbage soup if you want to give the soup some sweetness.
    • Depending on how big your pan is and the size of your cabbage, you may need to add more beef broth and water to the pot to cover the ingredients while simmering.
    • Add extra layers of flavor to the soup by adding in a bay leaf or two.

    🥗 What to serve with

    Cabbage roll soup is never a complete meal without something to dip and soak up that finger-licking good soup juices, and these homemade breads are the perfect companion.

    Brioche Buns

    These brioche burger buns are usually served with a nice burger patty in between. Still, I have come accustomed to dipping them in delicious soups of late because they are utterly buttery, soft, and chewy, and when fresh and warm, they are exquisite!

    Parma Sticks

    Simple breadsticks made with parmesan cheese and prosciutto are delightfully crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. The saltiness from the prosciutto and cheese combines perfectly with this hearty cabbage roll soup. Breadsticks never tasted as good as these do!

    📖 3 Delicious Variations

    In love with cabbage rolls and looking for other ways to prepare them rather than spending time rolling them one-by-one? Give these easy variations a go that will surely satisfy your taste buds.

    Cabbage roll casserole

    Cabbage casserole uses the same ingredients as cabbage soup but with the bonus of rice and tomato sauce. The ingredients are layered in a casserole dish and baked in the oven to perfection. It is mouth-wateringly delicious.

    Crockpot cabbage roll soup (Slow Cooker)

    Your perfect weeknight soup has arrived! If you are busy with work, kids, and life and don't have time to prepare your favorite cabbage rolls dinner, why not grab that crockpot at the back of the cupboards and let the machine do all the work for you. All you need to do is combine the ingredients in the crockpot, switch it on, and let it cook for 3-4 hours. Easy, no-hassle, weeknight comfort food!

    Instant pot cabbage roll soup

    Using an instant pot to cook cabbage roll soup instead of a pot is genius! You effectively cut down the cooking process by half an hour, meaning you can have the best cabbage soup prepared from start to finish in less than one hour.

    It's as easy as clicking the sauté function to brown the beef for 5 minutes, draining the juice before combining the rest of the ingredients, and setting the timer for 15 minutes on high pressure. Wait for the pressure to build for 10 minutes, then release the pressure for 15 minutes, stir and serve.

    🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating

    Storing cabbage roll soup couldn't be easier, and this soup freezes perfectly! Once it's cooled completely, you can store it in the fridge or freeze it.

    Refrigerate

    Transfer any leftover soup to an airtight container and place it in the fridge for 3 days. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a smaller Tupperware container with a lid that will fit in the fridge.

    Freeze

    If you want to freeze cabbage roll soup, transfer the leftovers to freezer bags or an airtight container. It will last frozen for up to 6 months.

    Reheating

    To reheat the frozen soup, thaw it overnight in the fridge and warm it up in the microwave or a pot.

    🍳 Related Comfort Recipes

    If you love my cabbage roll soup recipe. Try one of these fantastic recipes for your next lunch or dinner. Including my chicken vegetable soup.

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      Three-Cheese Lasagna (Easy & Delicious)
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    👪 Serving size

    This cabbage roll soup recipe will easily give you 6 generous servings, and if you have a bigger family, you can scale up and make double or triple the amount depending on how big your pot is. My mum has a huge stockpot for making stews like cowboy stew and soups, and I use it to make enough servings for 12 or more during the fall.

    If you have extra cabbage do no hesitate to make my delicious fried cabbage with bacon recipe. Super delicious to pair with any meal!

    🎥 Video

    It's so good I can eat it 3 days in a row for lunch or dinner. Cabbage roll soup is one of my family's favorite recipes to make during the fall, and I hope it will be for you too. ENJOY!

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

    📋 Recipe

    cabbage soup serve in a brown bowl

    Cabbage Roll Soup

    Unstuffed cabbage roll soup is hearty, super easy to prepare, and utterly delicious. Learn how to make cabbage roll soup with step-by-step instructions and VIDEO.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved! Share
    Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 316kcal
    Author: Ben Rayl

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 pound ground beef - lean
    • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 2 stalks celery - chopped fine
    • 16 ounces kidney beans - not drained
    • ½ head cabbage - chopped
    • 1 can tomatoes - including liquid 28 oz
    • 1 cup water tomato can worth
    • 4 cubes beef bouillon
    • parsley fresh - for garnish

    Instructions

    • Start by melting the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until browned.
    • Mix in the garlic powder, garlic salt, chopped celery, kidney beans and stir.
    • Chop cabbage, add to pot and stir to combine.
    • Add canned tomatoes, water, and beef bouillon. Stir to incorporate.
    • Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
    • Serve warm with some chopped fresh parsley.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you prefer to use fresh garlic instead of garlic salt and powder, I recommend using 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
    • Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and light brown sugar to the cabbage soup if you want to give the soup some sweetness.
    • Depending on how big your pan is and the size of your cabbage, you may need to add more beef broth and water to the pot to cover the ingredients while simmering.
    • Add extra layers of flavor to the soup by adding in a bay leaf or two.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 913mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 12 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anonymous

      February 15, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      We made this for dinner. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 12!! So very, very good. We doubled the batch. Since the recipe called for tomatoes but didn't say what kind we made one pot with crushed and one pot with diced. Didn't matter - both were excellent!!

      Reply
    2. Anonymous

      March 15, 2014 at 10:05 am

      This will be the 2nd time we've made this since we first saw it a few months ago. We absolutely love it. We'll double the recipe, eat it today and will enjoy it as a packed lunch over the next week or so.

      Reply
    3. Anonymous

      March 16, 2014 at 3:30 pm

      I made this today adding another 1/2 can water, 1 more beef cube, 1 small can of sauerkraut & 3/4 c. uncooked elbow macaroni...delicious!

      Reply
    4. Teresa

      March 26, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      I made this today in my crock pot but I added carrots and potatoes. You can clearly see there are carrots in the photo.

      Reply
    5. agustin morales

      May 07, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      I love all yours recipie

      Reply
    6. Carol Lee

      May 22, 2014 at 11:45 am

      I've made this several times...........absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Tammy

      July 15, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      Has any one used ground turkey? We can't eat the ground beef.

      Reply
    8. Anonymous

      February 17, 2015 at 8:42 am

      I use ground turkey and add 8 oz. of V-8 to give it a real flavor boost. Great base recipe! I use vegetable broth or chicken broth and sometimes I add chopped zucchini and kidney beans. So hearty and healthy.

      Reply
    9. m berridge

      May 28, 2015 at 6:05 am

      Absolutely delicious but chuck in some diced pork as well

      Reply
    10. Amber Price

      June 24, 2015 at 1:45 pm

      This soup was excellent. I will definitely make this again, Already passed it to my neighbor and she loved it too.

      Reply
    11. ReciFlix

      September 09, 2015 at 10:02 am

      great looking soup, this needs to be tried, a free reciflix app also helps in getting video recipes handy

      Reply
    12. Miss Cellanea

      October 15, 2015 at 5:02 am

      I thought this looked great and wanted to make it but then realized I was missing beans, celery and beef broth. I subbed diced sweet potato as starch for beans, added a can of tomato paste and added water chestnuts for some texture since I was missing celery. I browned the beef with diced onions. It was amazing! I don't think you could do anything to mess up this amazing recipe!

      Reply
    13. Anonymous

      October 31, 2015 at 12:17 pm

      Do you drain the burger before adding everything else?

      Reply
    14. diannanana

      November 03, 2015 at 10:36 am

      I'm sorry...some of these comments are ridiculous....the soup is incredible...it's a recipe for soup, it's not brain surgery..you can add or subtract what ever you please. What difference does it make that the word kidney beans is misspelled, yes ground beef IS beef, and as far as calories go...do the math. Again....soup is "DELISH"

      Reply
    15. Anonymous

      February 07, 2016 at 11:53 am

      This was a simple soup to make. I made it per the recipe (minus the celery and parsley, which I don't like) and it was very good. The next day I warmed up the leftovers and added another can of tomatoes, another can of water and another beef bouillon cube (I like soup soupy). I will definitely make this again but since I can do without the ground meat, I am going to use smoked sausage so I can just avoid that and my husband can have his meat, and basically double the rest of the recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
    16. crystal petersen

      February 29, 2016 at 2:32 am

      This looks so delicious. I'm going to make it in a few weeks as I already have my menu's planned out until then. I'm going to use venison instead of beef. I was wondering if anyone has ever made a double batch and froze some for a later date. I do this with most soups, stews and casseroles so I have lots of precooked meals that I can just heat up on a busy day. I freeze my soups etc.. In quart canning jars as it is the perfect amount for us.

      Reply
    17. Anonymous

      June 26, 2016 at 10:36 pm

      Can you another type of bean besides kidney beans.

      Reply
    18. Anonymous

      September 13, 2016 at 9:35 pm

      This was asked earlier with no reply... Do you drain the ground beef before adding the other ingredients, or not?

      Reply
    19. Lizzy

      October 14, 2017 at 4:31 pm

      I don't see how there can be so much liquid, when only 1 can of water was added. Does the cabbage add liquid? Sorry if it seems like a dumb question. I never really cook with cabbage.

      Reply
    20. Sandra

      October 24, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      I love your recipe. But could you make printing it easier. Eliminate the ads. thank you

      Reply
    21. Kathy

      December 12, 2017 at 8:45 am

      This is easy enough for even those who are only beginning to cook for themselves to prepare! Make whatever meat and veggie substitutions you like in soup; play around with the seasonings if you feel you must; A good basic recipe to start with! And you might not want to change anything at all!

      Reply
    22. Diana

      January 13, 2018 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      This soup was wonderful. It was easy to make & tasted great! Since I only had one can of tomatoes, I added a can of Rotel tomatoes & chilies. We liked that extra kick so well that next time I make it (and there WILL be a next time), I'll add a can of Rotel again.

      Reply
    23. Janice

      May 25, 2018 at 3:20 am

      When I made this I used lipton onion soup mix and rice instead of beans.

      Reply
    24. Kathleen

      August 08, 2018 at 6:40 am

      Spelt is also a past tense of spell in some parts of the world, particularly Britain. It is also a variety of wheat. Check it out before you criticize. Oh, I happen to have a Master's degree in English, too, so don't bother arguing with me.

      Reply
    25. Melissa Sperka

      November 06, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      One of my favorite soups of all time!

      Reply
    26. Barbara Schieving

      November 06, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Pure comfort food!

      Reply
    27. Aysegul Sanford

      November 06, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      Such a stellar soup recipe for a weeknight. I make a similar version of this dish all the time, but never made it with beans. It was such a good idea. Super filling and perfect for cold winter evening.

      Reply
    28. Joanne

      November 06, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a good soup. Great flavor!

      Reply
    29. Lori Lange

      November 06, 2018 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect comfort food soup for a chilly day!

      Reply
    30. Jennifer Farley

      November 06, 2018 at 11:46 pm

      5 stars
      I loved all these flavors! It really hit the spot!

      Reply
    31. Toni Dash

      November 07, 2018 at 12:38 am

      5 stars
      Ultimate comfort food! Perfect for fall nights!

      Reply
    32. Erin

      November 08, 2018 at 8:13 am

      5 stars
      Such a great soup, love how easy it is to make too.

      Reply
    33. Doug

      January 28, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      I've made this with a couple of potatoes cut up in it , but never beans. I'll have to try it.

      Reply

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    Chef Ben Rayl

    Hi, I'm Ben!

    I believe comfort food unites us, and I want to inspire you to cook at home with everyday ingredients. It is easier and takes less time than you think, costs less than eating out, and tastes a million times better.Read More

    Feel free to share our recipes on your blog using a photo and link back to the original recipe.

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