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5.0 from 51 votes

Crockpot Cabbage Soup

A hearty comfort food soup recipe the whole family will love. If you think that soup can’t be a meal, guess again! This slow cooker soup is chock full of bacon, ground beef, green cabbage, rice, carrots, fire roasted tomatoes, and more! Perfect for chilly weather, busy weeknights, and the leftovers freeze gr

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 409 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick-cut bacon diced small
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion diced small
  • 1 pound ground beef* See Notes
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and diced small
  • 5 cups green cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces and loosely measured not packed
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes fire-roasted recommended although plain are fine
  • 16 ounces canned tomato sauce
  • 6 to 8 cups beef broth** See Notes
  • ¾ cup long grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika recommended, but regular may be substiuted
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley for garnishing optional
  • ½ teaspoon finely minced fresh marjoram for garnishing optional
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional for garnishing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To a large skillet, add the bacon, onion, and cook over medium-heat until the bacon is nearly cooked and the onion is soft and translucent, stir frequently.
  2. Drain off most of the oil and discard. Remove the bacon, onion, and set aside.
  3. Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown it using the remaining oil. Stir and crumble the beef as it cooks to ensure even cooking.
  4. To a 7 to 8-quart slow cooker, add the bacon, onion, browned ground beef, all remaining ingredients (except optional garnishes), and stir to combine. Tips - Start with 6 cups of the beef broth; you can always add more later. Place the bay leaves into the slow cooker last, on top, so they are easier to find and remove later.
  5. Cook on high for 3 hours OR on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until done. While cooking, if you notice that the overall level of broth is low or lower than you'd like, add the remaining beef broth (up to 2 cups, or as needed).
  6. After the soup has cooked, remove the bay leaves, stir, taste, and check for seasoning balance. Tip - If the soup tastes at all flat or like it's lacking something, it likely needs more salt so don't be afraid to salt it as necessary. Additionally, if you want to play up the smoky aspect, add additional smoked paprika as desired. To add a tiny bit of heat without making it spicy, a couple tiny shakes of cayenne pepper will do the trick.
  7. Optionally garnish with parsley and/or marjoram, or Parmesan, as desired and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Use freezer and microwave-safe containers for ease.

Notes

  • *I recommend using 80/20 ground beef rather than the extra lean varieties for enhanced flavor and richness. However, you can use leaner ground beef as well as ground turkey or ground chicken, noting that you will sacrifice flavor and the fattiness and richness of mouthfeel in doing so.
  • **I start with 6 cups of reduced sodium beef broth but if the soup isn’t brothy enough for you, feel free to add one or two additional cups of broth midway through or near the end of the cooking time. All rice absorbs slightly different amounts of liquid and personal preferences for brothiness vary as well which is why I start modestly because you can always add more beef broth later.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 409kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 13g Cholesterol 71mg (24%) Sodium 4595mg (191%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 409

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 409kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 13g 76%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 4595mg 191%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 6g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.