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Cabbage Roll Soup
5 from 150 votes

Cabbage Roll Soup

Cabbage Roll Soup reinterprets the classic stuffed cabbage roll ingredients as a comforting soup with ground beef, cabbage, and rice simmered in a tomato-rich broth. It's hearty and mildly spiced, with tender vegetables and meat in a flavorful, slightly thickened broth enhanced by herbs and Worcestershire sauce.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 8
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef lean
  • salt freshly ground
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 yellow onion chopped (1 3/4 cups, large
  • 2 carrot chopped (1 1/4 cups, large
  • 5 cups cabbage 16 - 19 oz, packed chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups beef broth then more to thin if desired, low sodium
  • 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes petite
  • 1 Tbsp* light brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika dried
  • 1 tsp oregano dried, or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
  • 3/4 tsp thyme dried, or 2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup long-grain white rice dry
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice fresh
  • 1/3 cup parsley chopped, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 
  2. 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. 
  3. Add onion and carrots to pot and saute 2 minutes, then add cabbage and garlic and saute 3 minutes longer.
  4. Pour in beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Return beef to soup mixture. 
  5. 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. 
  6. 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.

Notes

  • Reducing brown sugar to 1 tablespoon from 2 is recommended to avoid excess sweetness while maintaining flavor balance.