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Easy cabbage roll soup with carrots and beef

Cabbage Roll Soup

4.95 from 17 votes
The BEST cabbage roll soup recipe with ground beef, rice, and a rich tomato broth. All the comfort of stuffed cabbage rolls without the work!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 cups
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (or try with ground turkey or ground pork sausage)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional to taste
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 medium parsnips peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 4 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 24 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice* (see recipe notes below)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (check your label to ensure it's a gluten-free brand)
  • 4 springs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • Pinch crushed red pepper
  • 5 cups green cabbage chopped (about half of a small head)
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Heat a Dutch oven or similar large soup pot over medium-high. Add the beef, salt, and pepper. With a wooden spoon or sturdy plastic spoon or spatula, break apart the meat into pieces.
    Ground meat in a Dutch oven
  • Once the meat is broken up, add the carrots, parsnips, and onions. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, until very fragrant.
    Meat and vegetables in a Dutch oven for the BEST cabbage roll soup
  • Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, rice, bay leaves, maple syrup, Worcestershire, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
    Herbs and spices in a rich broth
  • Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage.
    Cabbage being added to a Dutch oven
  • Continue simmering until the cabbage and rice are tender, about 25 to 35 minutes more. Check and stir periodically.
    Cabbage roll soup recipe easy
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Fish out and discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Stir in the vinegar. Cover and let the soup rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and the soup to thicken a bit further, then taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Enjoy hot.

Notes

  • *SUBSTITUTION TIP: To use white rice instead of brown: add the cabbage at the same time as the beef broth in Step 3. Let the entire pot simmer for 25 to 30 minutes only (vs. the 45 minutes total needed for brown rice; white rice cooks more quickly).
  • TO STORE: Refrigerate soup in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. 
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 10)Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 14gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 28mgPotassium: 870mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 4431IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg