This hearty crockpot cabbage roll soup is a fantastic soup packed with flavor – easily made in your slow cooker!
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This dish brings you all the amazing flavors of cabbage rolls, without requiring any of the work. As with most slow cooker soup recipes, you can simply combine the ingredients in your crockpot, set a timer and leave it.
Crockpot cabbage roll soup is a fantastic set and forget recipe. Prepare it in the morning, forget about it, and dinner will be ready to serve in the afternoon.
I love how easy this dish is, but the main selling point of this soup is the FLAVOR. It’s mild but hearty, comforting but not too heavy. Perfect for everyday lunches or dinners.
As the recipe includes ground beef and rice, it’s really filling. This recipe is also thicker than most soups, and can even be considered a cabbage stew.
The dish is also dairy free, gluten free and nut free, so most people should be able to enjoy it!
Ingredients
Ground beef: I use lean ground beef, but any ground beef will work. You can also use ground turkey, chicken or pork if you prefer.
Rice: White long grain rice is preferable, such as Basmati or Jasmine rice.
Cabbage: Use chopped or sliced white cabbage.
Beef broth: You can buy beef broth in cartons in most supermarkets. A beef stock cube and water also works well.
Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes: I like to use a combination of both. The tomato sauce gives the soup a nice consistency, but the diced tomatoes add a little extra bite and texture.
Garlic, onion and seasoning: These are simply added for flavor. I use paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and a bay leaf, but you can substitute these with other seasoning that you like.
Carrots: Adding a few carrots will make the soup a little more interesting. You can also use any other vegetables you have available, or substitute the carrots with another favorite veg.
Instructions
Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, dry rice and the seasoning to your slow cooker.
Brown the ground beef in a skillet, and transfer it to the slow cooker. Leave some of the grease from the meat behind in the skillet.
Add diced onions to the pan you used to cook the meat, and sauté these for a few minutes until they are soft and translucent. Then, add finely grated garlic to the skillet, and sauté for another minute. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
Lastly, peel and dice the carrots, and roughly chop or slice the cabbage. Add these to the slow cooker, and stir to combine the ingredients.
Cover with a lid, and cook the cabbage roll soup on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours. Taste the soup to check if it requires any additional seasoning, and to make sure that the rice has cooked through before serving.
Top tips
Here are all of my best advice to help you succeed with this recipe:
- Although browning the meat is optional, it’s highly recommended. If you want to read more about it, I have made a whole post on how to brown mince!
- I like to leave the cabbage roughly chopped, with some larger pieces. This gives the soup a more interesting texture.
- Leave the lid on the slow cooker while the soup cooks. Removing the lid will let out a good portion of the steam, and lower the temperature in the crockpot. This can significantly increase the required cooking time.
Serving suggestions
Crockpot cabbage roll soup is hearty, and best served as a main course for lunch or dinner.
You definitely don’t need any side dishes with this meal, but you can serve it with some tasty bread if you prefer.
I like to serve mine with toasted bread or garlic bread. You can also serve the soup with some roasted veggies on the side if you want to add more vegetables to the meal.
Variations
Extra vegetables: You can add extra veggies to your cabbage roll soup, such as zucchini, potatoes, broccoli or peppers. Simply dice them, and add them along with the other ingredients.
Red cabbage: Making the soup with red cabbage will give it a fun color, although the flavor tends to be the same.
Ground turkey or chicken: If you’re not a fan of ground beef, you can use either turkey or chicken instead. The soup will then be leaner, but still taste delicious.
Leftovers
Leftover cabbage roll soup can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat it in a pot or microwave, and serve the leftovers warm.
Keep in mind that the rice tends to absorb more liquid over time, and the leftover soup will be much thicker, like a stew. The rice also tends to be a little mushy, but I don’t find it to be a problem in this recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, however as brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice, you will have to cook the soup for a longer period of time.
Absolutely. Feel free to use rice that’s already cooked, or to cook the rice separately. If you do this, I suggest omitting the beef broth from the recipe to give it the right texture.
Absolutely. The soup is much faster to make in a regular pot on the stove top. Follow the instructions to add the ingredients, and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes.
You might also like these recipes
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet
- Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Meatball Stew
- Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Recipe
Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (500 g)
- 4-5 cups cabbage (roughly shredded)
- ½ cup rice (130 g)
- 1 ½ cup tomato sauce (500 g tomato passata)
- 1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes (400 g)
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, dry rice and the seasoning to your slow cooker.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet, and transfer it to the slow cooker. Leave some of the grease from the meat behind in the skillet.
- Add diced onions to the pan you used to cook the meat, and sauté these for a few minutes until they are soft and translucent. Then, add finely grated garlic to the skillet, and sauté for another minute. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Lastly, peel and dice the carrots, and roughly chop or slice the cabbage. Add these to the slow cooker, and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cover with a lid, and cook the cabbage roll soup on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours. Taste the soup to check if it requires any additional seasoning, and to make sure that the rice has cooked through before serving.
Video
Notes
- Although browning the meat is optional, it’s highly recommended. If you want to read more about it, I have made a whole post on how to brown mince!
- I like to leave the cabbage roughly chopped, with some larger pieces. This gives the soup a more interesting texture.
- Leave the lid on the slow cooker while the soup cooks. Removing the lid will let out a good portion of the steam, and lower the temperature in the crockpot. This can significantly increase the required cooking time.
- Leftover cabbage roll soup can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat it in a pot or microwave, and serve the leftovers warm.
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