The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
If you love the comforting, hearty flavors of traditional old-fashioned cabbage rolls but don’t love the tedious task of rolling them, this Easy Cabbage Roll Soup is about to become your new weeknight favorite. It is everything you love about the classic comfort food—savory ground beef, tender cabbage, and rice in a rich tomato broth—deconstructed into a cozy, effortless one-pot meal.
This is simple, budget-friendly comfort food at its finest, perfect for busy weeknights when you need to feed a hungry crowd (or just want amazing meal-prep leftovers for the week).
Why You’ll Love This Unstuffed Cabbage Soup
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Zero Rolling Required: Get all the nostalgic flavor of grandma’s cabbage rolls in a fraction of the time.
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Budget & Family Friendly: Made with simple, pantry-staple ingredients that stretch a single pound of ground beef into 8 hearty servings.
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Ultimate Comfort Food: It’s thick, filling, and packed with savory richness that warms you from the inside out.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
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Ground Beef: I use one pound of lean ground beef (80/20 or 90/10). Feel free to swap this out for ground turkey, chicken, or sweet Italian sausage for a twist!
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Green Cabbage: One medium head of fresh green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces. It gets beautifully tender and sweet as it simmers.
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The Liquid Gold Base: A rich combination of beef broth and tomato juice gives this soup its deep, savory depth. (Pro-tip: You can use V8 juice for extra vegetable flavor!).
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Long Grain White Rice: Uncooked long-grain white rice bulks up the soup. Do not use instant/minute rice, or it will turn to mush.
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The Secret Flavor Boost (Ro*Tel): Instead of plain diced tomatoes, we use canned diced tomatoes with green chiles. It doesn’t make the soup spicy, but it adds a wonderful, subtle “zing” that elevates the whole flavor profile.
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Aromatics & Seasonings: Fresh onion, minced garlic, a splash of savory Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of salt.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Soup (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Brown the Beef
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Use your wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces as it cooks.
Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics
When the beef is halfway browned, toss in your minced sweet onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the onions are soft, translucent, and fragrant, and the beef is completely cooked through. Drain any excess grease if necessary.
Step 3: Combine and Simmer
Add the chopped cabbage, beef broth, tomato juice, uncooked white rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and the undrained canned tomatoes with green chiles to the pot. Stir everything together well.
Step 4: Cook Until Tender
Bring the soup to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, pop the lid on, and let it simmer gently for about 25 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the rice is perfectly tender and the cabbage is soft.
Serving Suggestion: Ladle into big bowls and top with a generous dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve alongside warm crusty bread, 7-Up biscuits, or a crisp green salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze Cabbage Roll Soup?
Yes! Freeze for up to 3 months. Tip: The rice will soften a bit, so you might need to add a splash of broth when reheating.
Can I make this in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and onions first, dump everything except the rice into the Crockpot, and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Stir in the rice during the last 40 minutes.
What should I serve with it?
Keep it simple: crusty bread, warm biscuits, or a light green side salad.
How long do leftovers last?
Up to 4 days in the fridge. The rice will soak up the liquid as it sits, so just add a splash of water or broth when you reheat it.
Can I use brown rice instead?
It’s better not to cook it in the soup because brown rice takes too long (45+ minutes) and will turn your cabbage to mush. If you want brown rice, cook it separately and stir it in at the end.
Cozy One-Pot Cabbage Roll Soup (Easy Unstuffed Recipe!)
All the hearty, savory flavors of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls but with zero rolling! Packed with ground beef, tender cabbage, rice, and a rich tomato-beef broth, this one-pot meal is perfect for cozy weeknights.
Ingredients
Method
- Add the ground beef to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and brown over medium heat, breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks.
- As the meat begins to brown, stir in the minced onion and garlic. Continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender and the beef is fully cooked through. Drain excess grease if desired.
- Add the chopped cabbage, beef broth, tomato juice, uncooked white rice, Worcestershire sauce, undrained diced tomatoes with chiles, and salt to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 25 minutes (or until the rice and cabbage are perfectly tender).
- Taste the broth and adjust with additional salt if needed. Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Thicker Soup Base: For a heartier, thicker, and more stew-like consistency, you can easily substitute tomato sauce in place of the tomato juice.
- Rice Tip: Be sure to use standard long-grain white rice. Minute or instant rice will absorb liquid too fast and turn mushy.
- Napa Cabbage Variant: If using Napa cabbage, keep in mind it cooks faster and will yield a softer, wiltier texture than green cabbage.
- Pasta Alternative: Prefer pasta? You can replace the rice with small pasta shapes like ditalini or macaroni. Just add them during the last 10–12 minutes of simmering.
Final Thoughts
If you are craving the nostalgic comfort of traditional cabbage rolls but don’t want to spend an hour wrapping them, this unstuffed cabbage roll soup is your answer. It is warm, packed with flavor, incredibly budget-friendly, and all happens in just one pot.
Give it a try for dinner tonight, and don’t forget to top your bowl with plenty of fresh Parmesan cheese! If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know how your family loved it.
