This Cabbage Roll Soup hits the spot on cold days. Take everything good about cabbage rolls - the meat, rice, and veggies - and turn it into a hot, filling soup. It's quick to make but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Why Make This Soup
Regular cabbage rolls take forever to make. This soup gives you all those good flavors in half the time. The meat gets tender, the cabbage turns soft and sweet, and the rice soaks up all the tasty broth. Make a big pot on Sunday - it tastes even better the next day.
What You Need
- Oil: 2 spoons regular cooking oil
- Ground Beef: 2 pounds lean meat - not too fatty
- Salt and Pepper: 1 spoon salt, 1/2 spoon pepper
- Onion: 1 big yellow onion, cut tiny
- Garlic: 4 cloves, smashed and chopped
- Cabbage: 1 head, cut in bite-size pieces
- Carrots: 3 big ones, sliced thin
- Beef Broth: 8 cups low-salt kind
- Tomato Sauce: 2 cans (15 oz each)
- Rice: 1 cup plain white rice, not cooked
- Bay Leaf: 1 whole leaf
- Brown Sugar: 2 spoons
- Parsley: Handful fresh, chopped up
How to Make It
- Get ready first:
- Pull out your biggest pot. Put it on your biggest burner. Get all your stuff chopped and ready.
- Start the meat:
- Turn heat to medium-high. Add oil. Drop in meat. Break it up with your spoon into tiny bits. Add 1 spoon salt, 1/2 spoon pepper. Cook till no pink shows - about 8 minutes.
- Cook the small stuff:
- Dump chopped onions in with meat. Add smashed garlic. Mix around till onions look clear - takes 5 minutes. Scrape bottom of pot while stirring.
- Add wet stuff:
- Pour in both cans tomato sauce. Add all 8 cups broth. Stir good. Turn heat high.
- Put in veggies:
- Drop in all cabbage pieces. Add sliced carrots. Put in bay leaf. Add brown sugar. Stir everything real good.
- Add rice:
- When soup starts bubbling, pour in rice. Stir once. Put lid on pot.
- Let it cook:
- Turn heat to low. Let cook 25 minutes. Don't lift lid! Rice needs steam to get soft.
- Check it's done:
- After 25 minutes, try a piece of cabbage - should be real soft. Try rice too - shouldn't be hard in middle.
- Fix the taste:
- Fish out bay leaf - don't eat that! Taste soup. Need more salt? Add it now. Want it thinner? Add hot broth.
- Serve it up:
- Throw chopped parsley on top. Put extra salt, pepper on table. Soup should be steaming hot.
Making It Perfect
Cut cabbage in big chunks - not tiny pieces. They shrink when cooking. Pick bright green heads of cabbage, not brown ones. Cut out the hard core first. Slice carrots the same size so they cook even. Don't skip the brown sugar - it makes the tomatoes taste better. Keep tasting while it cooks - that's how you know if it needs more salt.
Using The Right Pot
Big soup pot works best - needs high sides. Cast iron pot's even better if you got one. Make sure it's got a tight lid or steam gets out and rice stays hard. Don't fill pot more than 3/4 full or it might bubble over. Keep heat low once it's cooking - boiling hard makes rice mushy and meat tough.
Fixing Common Problems
Soup too thick? Add hot broth, not cold. Rice not done? Cook 10 more minutes, add splash of hot water. Cabbage too hard? Cut smaller next time. Too much grease on top? Let it sit 5 minutes, skim off with spoon. Not enough flavor? Add more salt bit by bit, or throw in another bay leaf.
Saving Leftovers
Let soup cool 2 hours before putting in fridge. Use containers with tight lids. Keeps 5 days in fridge. Gets thicker each day - add splash of broth when warming up. For freezing, fill containers only 3/4 full - soup expands when frozen. Frozen soup's good for 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight.
Making Extra Batches
Double batch? Use two pots instead of one big pot - cooks better. Chop everything ahead - saves time. Freeze half for later. Want it spicy? Add red pepper flakes with the onions. Like garlic? Double it. Need it faster? Buy pre-chopped cabbage from store. Making for kids? Go easy on the pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I use instead of beef?
Got lots of choices! Lentils work great - use 2 cups cooked brown or green ones. Ground turkey makes it lighter. Beyond Meat or Impossible work too if you want that meaty taste. Some folks like chickpeas - add them late so they don't get mushy. Whatever you pick, season it good with garlic and paprika. Ground pork works too, but drain off extra fat. If using lentils, add them with the broth since they're already cooked.
- Does it freeze okay?
Freezes like a dream! Let it cool completely first. Put it in boxes or freezer bags - leave a little space on top for the soup to expand. Good for 3 months frozen. When you want some, thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat it slow on the stove and stir now and then. If it's thick, add a splash of broth. The rice might be a bit softer, but still tastes great. Some people freeze it without rice and add fresh cooked rice when heating.
- How long is it good in the fridge?
Keeps 3-4 days if you store it right. Let it cool before you put it away. Keep it in a container with a good lid. When you want more, heat only what you'll eat - keeps better that way. You might need to add a bit of water when reheating if it gets thick. If it starts smelling different or looks odd, better to toss it. The cabbage keeps its crunch for about 2 days, then gets softer.
- Can I use red cabbage?
Sure can! Red cabbage makes it pretty and adds a sweet touch. It might turn your soup purple - kids love that! Cook it a bit longer than green cabbage since it's tougher. Some people like mixing both kinds. Red cabbage has more vitamins too. Just know it might stain plastic containers, so use glass if you've got it. A splash of vinegar helps keep the color bright.
- Will it work in a slow cooker?
Perfect for the slow cooker! Brown the meat first with onions - adds more flavor. Put everything except rice in the pot. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 on high. Add cooked rice last hour or it gets mushy. Want it thicker? Take the lid off last hour. Some slow cookers run hot, so check after 5 hours first time you make it. Great to start before work - comes home to dinner ready!
Some More Ideas
Love cabbage? Try making a big pan of cabbage and beef casserole. Or go old school with rolled up cabbage leaves stuffed with meat and rice. Same good taste, just fixed in different ways.