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Cabbage Roll Soup is a filling, savory comforting soup, perfect for a chilly evening meal. Cabbage, ground beef, bacon, beef broth, smokey fire roasted tomatoes, paprika, and worcestershire sauce mix together to give this easy meal it’s over-the-top deliciousness. This is a protein packed, easy meal for a busy weeknight.
CABBAGE ROLL SOUP
Fall is fast approaching which means we need to have those filling soup recipes ready to simmer on the stove.
You guys are going to love this Cabbage Roll Soup recipe as the weather gets cooler.
This soup mixes together ground beef, bacon {optional}, fire roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth cabbage, spices and rice to create a hearty meal. It is pure comfort food!
Growing up my grandma made cabbage rolls and this soup reminds me of that but in an unstuffed cabbage soup form.
My whole family just loves this soup so much!
If you are fan of cabbage like I am, then this recipe is for you.
I often will rotate it with this Vegetable Soup with Cabbage.
When making this soup you can use ground turkey, chicken or pork instead of the beef or just leave the meat out all-together and do a vegetarian version.
Today’s recipe is made in the slow cooker but can easily be made on the stove-top by simmering all the ingredients in a dutch oven or large pot for 30 minutes after cooking the bacon and ground beef.
I also love that you can easily freeze this soup for later. I often will make a double batch and freeze half.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN CABBAGE ROLL SOUP?
- ONION
- BACON
- GROUND BEEF {I USED 80/20 GROUND BEEF BUT YOU CAN ALSO USE LEAN GROUND BEEF FOR A HEALTHIER VERSION}
- GARLIC
- CARROTS
- CABBAGE
- FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES {OR YOU CAN USE REGULAR DICED TOMATOES}
- TOMATO SAUCE {YOU CAN ALSO ADD A SMALL AMOUNT OF TOMATE PASTE TO THICKEN THE SOUP}
- BEEF BROTH {OR VEGETABLE OR CHICKEN BROTH}
- LONG GRAIN RICE, WHITE RICE OR BROWN RICE
- WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
- SMOKED PAPRIKA
- THYME
- MARJORAM
- BAY LEAVES
HOW DO YOU MAKE EASY CABBAGE ROLL SOUP?
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and then add the bacon and onion.
Cook up the bacon and onion until the bacon is nearly cooked.
Spoon out the bacon and onion and place in the crockpot and drain the grease from the cooking pan.
Add another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook. Drain the ground beef and add to the crockpot.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot.
Cover and set the slow cooker on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
Remove the bay leaf and serve with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
HOW DO I STORE CABBAGE SOUP?
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- When you have leftovers or if you make a double batch this soup can be frozen. Let the soup cool completely before you freeze it. Place in single serving portions in freezer bags. Place on a tray or cookie sheet to freeze then you have stackable single serving portions. Otherwise you can freeze the soup all in a large container. These can be stored for up to 3 months.
HOW CAN I MODIFY THIS CABBAGE ROLL SOUP RECIPE?
VEGETABLES: You can add any vegetables you might have on hand. Some that I really like are zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and celery.
CHEESE: I often add Parmesan cheese when the soup is ready to be served. Other cheese options would be cheddar, mozzarella or pepper jack cheese.
GREENS: Adding greens is a nice way to add extra nutrition. I especially like kale, spinach and swiss chard.
SPICE: If you like your soup spicy try adding cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce
GRAIN: Instead of long grain white rice try other grains like barley, brown rice, wild rice or farro.
SPICES: There are a lot of other spices that can add flavor to this soup. A few I like are Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder.
FRESH HERBS: I love finishing my soup off with fresh herbs. Besides parsley try basil, chives, thyme or rosemary.
WHAT SHOULD I PAIR WITH CABBAGE ROLL SOUP?
MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED VEGETABLES
LEMON ARUGULA SALAD WITH PINE NUTS
OTHER SOUP RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
INSTANT POT STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
Cabbage Roll Soup
Cabbage Roll Soup is a filling, savory comforting soup, perfect for a chilly evening meal. Cabbage, ground beef, bacon, beef broth, smokey fire roasted tomatoes, paprika, and worcestershire sauce mix together to give this easy meal it’s over-the-top deliciousness. This is a protein packed, easy meal for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pound thick bacon, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 5 cups cabbaged, chopped
- 1 - 28 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 - 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 6-8 cups beef broth (start with 6 and add more if the soup is not thin enough)
- 3/4 cup long grain rice
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and then add the bacon and onion. Cook up the bacon and onion until the bacon is nearly cooked.
- Spoon out the bacon and onion and place in the crockpot and drain the grease from the cooking pan.
- Add another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook. Drain the ground beef and add to the crockpot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the crockpot. Cover and set the slow cooker on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
The hamburger can be substituted for ground chicken or turkey.
Another option is replacing half the ground beef for spicy or italian ground sausage.
STORAGE:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Leftovers or if you make a double batch this soup can be frozen. Place in single serving portions in ziplock freezer bags. Place on a tray or cookie sheet to freeze then you have stackable single serving portions. These can be stored for up to 3 months.
This soup is amazing! Definitely a new favorite!
So glad you liked it!
Could I use crushed tomatoes vs diced in the soup. Not really a tomato person.
Thanks, Jan
Yes you could- and just use as much as you like. Crushed would work great. You can take the tomatoes down to a minimal amount or honestly you could even try it without the tomatoes and maybe add other vegetables instead.