Cabbage Roll Soup

Have all the flavor and comfort of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls with none of the fuss in this super easy to make cabbage roll soup recipe.

Unstuffed cabbage roll soup is a simple and hearty dish that is a complete meal perfect for easy days at home.

The great thing about this recipe is that while it can be followed exactly, there is also a ton of room for making it individual and for using up whatever happens to be on hand in your pantry.

The Meat

I generally prefer ground Italian sausage in my cabbage rolls but the options are endless.

Use ground beef, plain sausage, ground chicken or turkey instead. Skip the ground meat and use chunks of stew beef or even sliced sausages.

A mixture of meat can also be quite nice, some Italian sausage and ground beef for instance.

The Vegetables

Other than cabbage, which is kind of required for it to be cabbage roll soup, the veggies can easily be switched up. Add more or less vegetables as desired.

A good starting point is always the basics: onions, garlic, carrots, celery. But don’t stop there if you want to make it vegetable heavy.

We like a pretty heavy addition of green peppers in both our traditional cabbage rolls and our cabbage roll soup but again, make it your own.

Some chopped jalapeno or other hot pepper can be quite nice if your family likes some heat in their soups.

I often add some peas or green beans too. Generally, I try to use up any small bits of garden harvest or leftovers sitting around. There’s no reason you can’t throw in some zucchini in the middle of summer either.

The Grain

Rice is most common but there’s no reason you can’t use quinoa or barley if desired.

I prefer a wild and brown rice mix but again use whatever rice you have on hand.

The Liquid

You’ll need some tomato sauce (or juice) and some broth to cook everything in. And like most everything else here, options abound.

I generally use home canned tomato sauce but anything commercial will work as well. Sauce will make for a thicker soup in the end, but tomato juice will also work wonderfully.

Match the broth to the meat used. Beef broth for beef, Chicken for poultry. Sausage can generally go with either beef or chicken broth.

Seasoning

If using commercial tomato sauce and broth – taste for seasoning. These products are often quite salty on their own and you might not need to add more salt.

The seasoning is really as individual as your family. I keep it quite simple: salt, pepper, oregano most of the time. Some paprika, parsley, even basil can be nice too. Again, use what you have on hand.

Serving Ideas

The final soup is going to be quite thick. If you want it thinner, simply add more broth or water to make it so.

Serve the soup with a simple salad and some good hearty bread for a wonderful, rustic meal that is sure to please.

A little sour cream on top of a bowl of soup can be quite nice but is by no means required.

Leftovers

The recipe makes a big pot of soup. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and eat up within 3 days.

We quite enjoy making the big pot and eating on it for a couple of days for easy meals.

The rice will continue to absorb the liquid in the fridge, so be prepared to add more broth or some water each time you reheat it to thin out some.

Can You Freeze Cabbage Roll Soup?

Absolutely. Once cooked, let the cabbage roll soup cool slightly and pour into jars or other containers. Be sure to leave room for expansion (at least an inch). Put a lid on the container and freeze.

To reheat, simply let the container thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently in a pot, adding more water or broth as necessary.

Use up frozen soup within about 8 months for best flavor.

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