Easy, delicious, and low in calories—this cabbage roll soup is ready in just 30 minutes.

Cabbage roll soup in a white pot with a soup ladle

Recipe Overview

My family really loved this cabbage roll soup! It’s filling, hearty, and makes for fantastic leftovers. You start by cooking the ground beef, then toss in the cabbage, carrots, canned tomatoes, rice, broth, and a few spices. The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes, and we enjoyed the leftovers the next night served over rice—so good!

Ingredients including bowls of chopped cabbage, carrots, ground beef, onion, rice, oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, bay leaves, and cans of diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and beef broth.

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 minced garlic cloves
3 cups chopped green cabbage - sliced into thin strips
32 oz carton beef broth
2 medium carrots - chopped small
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
½ cup long grain white rice
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf

Kitchen Equipment Used

Silicone spatula
Measuring spoons - this is a magnetic set that sticks together in the drawer to keep organized.

Four images of a white pot, first with raw ground beef, second with cooked ground beef and a folded paper towel, third with chopped onion dumped into grond beef. Fourth with onion and ground beef mixed together.

How To Make Cabbage Roll Soup

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1: In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook 1 lb of ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Use a folded paper towel and a spatula to swish around and soak up any excess grease.

STEP 2: Add 1 cup of chopped yellow onion. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Now stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.

Three images, first is chopped carrots, rice, bay leaves and liquids dumped into soup pot. Second is the raw ingredients all mixed. Third is cooked cabbage soup.

STEP 3: Next, add 3 cups of chopped cabbage, 32 oz of beef broth, 2 chopped carrots, 15 oz tomato sauce, 15 oz canned diced tomatoes, ½ cup long-grain white rice, 1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Mix everything together well.

STEP 4: Let the soup simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice and vegetables are tender. Now the soup is ready to ladle into bowls to serve!

Recipe Tips

Slice the cabbage thin and chop the carrots into small bite-size pieces so that they will cook faster.
The longer you let the soup simmer on the stove, the more liquid will reduce. Depending on your personal preference of how you like your soup, you may or may not want to cook it longer.

How To Store Leftovers

REFRIGERATE – Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
REHEAT – This can be reheated in the microwave or oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until it’s heated through.

If dinner feels like a daily panic—read this.

Stop letting 5 PM run your life.

If you’re tired of standing in front of the fridge at 5 PM wondering what the heck to make—you’re not doing anything wrong.

You’re just stuck in a broken system that puts all the pressure on you… with zero support.

That’s why I’m creating Dinner Rescue Club—a new membership to help busy moms simplify dinner with flexible plans, repeatable rhythms, and real-life shortcuts that actually work.

We’re opening soon with a small beta group (just 20 spots!). If you’ve ever felt like:

“I’m too tired to figure it out”
“I want dinner to feel easier, but I don’t even know where to start”
“Why does this feel so hard when I’m trying so hard?”

…then this is for you!!

Join the waitlist here to get:

Early access before we open to the public
Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks
A locked-in beta price that won’t be offered again

👉 Join here to save your spot →