Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Cabbage rolls are a classic comfort food that requires a lot of hands-on time. Luckily, this easy cabbage roll soup recipe gives you all the flavor of the traditional dish with only 15 minutes of prep!

Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Cabbage Roll Soup

Cabbage rolls are cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned ground meat, rice, and veggies that are simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce. A staple Eastern European dish, making them is typically a multi-step process: steaming the cabbage leaves, preparing the filling and sauce, then stuffing and baking.

That’s exactly why I love this soup recipe sooo much. I can throw together this one-pot dish and get it on the table in just 45 minutes. Like my Chicken Wild Rice Soup, It’s the sort of hearty soup that is perfect for busy family dinners, weekly meal prep, and doubling (or even tripling) when serving a crowd.

Not only is it perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, but you can serve it all year long for Sunday suppers, game day gatherings, potlucks, and more.

Why You’ll Love It

• Quick and Easy – Make this soup with only 15 minutes of prep work and 30 minutes of cooking on the stovetop.
• Budget-Friendly – Requires just a hanbdful of affordable pantry staples and fridge ingredients.
• Healthy – A true balanced meal, this is a hearty and healthy soup that really satisfies.

What’s Needed

• Olive Oil – To brown the meat.
• Ground Turkey – Use ground turkey (or chicken) for a healthy, lower-calorie soup. Or use hot or mild Italian sausage or ground beef instead.
• Cabbage – Green savoy cabbage for classic cabbage roll flavor.
• Broth – Your choice of chicken broth or beef broth.
• Veggies – Onion and carrot add color and flavor.
• Rice – Uncooked short-grain white rice.
• Diced Tomatoes – Or swap for crushed tomatoes.
• Tomato Paste – For added depth of flavor.
• Seasonings – Bay leaves, paprika, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

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How To Make Cabbage Roll Soup

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the ground turkey and brown, using a spatula to break it up.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in diced onion, garlic, carrots, paprika and Italian seasoning. Cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook until it begins to caramelize.
5. Pour in a half cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the cabbage has softened.
7. Remove the bay leaves, top with parsley, serve, and enjoy.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• To make this using brown rice instead of white, you can either parboil the brown rice before adding to the soup or adjust the total cooking time. 
• I like the cabbage to be in larger chunks but you can also slice in longer thinner strips if you prefer.
• You can also use purple cabbage instead of green cabbage.
• Need to feed a crowd? This recipe is easy to double. Just make sure your pot is large enough.
• Add some heat – kick things up with some red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce.
• Use different veggies – use what you have on hand, or bulk this up even more by adding more veggies like bell peppers and mushrooms.
• Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Prep and Storage

• Prep Ahead – You can chop the veggies and brown the meat in advance and store in the fridge until needed.
• Storage – keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze – this soup is great for meal prep, and can be stored inside the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating and serving.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 2 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Similar Recipes You’ll Want To Try

• Instant Pot Lasagna Soup.
• Air Fryer Chicken and Cabbage.
• Smothered Cabbage.

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