Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup

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Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup

All the cozy vibes of cabbage rolls, minus the hassle! This hearty soup is loaded with tender cabbage, savory meat, and perfectly cooked rice, simmered in a rich tomato broth. Comfort food, simplified!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Course: dinner, Main Course, Soups and Stews

Cuisine: American, polish

Keyword: cabbage and beef soup, cabbage roll soup, stuffed cabbage soup

Servings: cups

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 large carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork sausage
1 green cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces, about 7 to 8 cups
3 cups marinara sauce (24 ounces) or homemade tomato basil sauce
4 to 5 cups chicken broth or beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup white rice uncooked
fresh chopped parsley
Sour cream for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the ground beef and pork sausage to the pot. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain any excess grease if needed.
Toss in the chopped cabbage and stir until slightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the marinara sauce, broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and uncooked white rice. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the cabbage is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Notes

Make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and be sure your broth is certified gluten-free.

Choose your rice: White rice works best, but if you’re using brown rice, add extra broth and simmer longer until it’s tender.

Low-carb option: Swap in cauliflower rice and stir it in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

When reheating: The soup thickens as it sits. Add a splash of chicken or beef stock to loosen it up when warming leftovers.

For freezing: Cook the rice separately and add it fresh when serving to prevent a mushy texture.

Nutrition