Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Soup
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Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Soup has all the flavor of the popular dish in a warm and cozy slow-cooked soup! Instead of spending hours steaming, cooking, and rolling until your fingers are tired, dump everything in the slow cooker and walk away. Packed with ground beef, veggies, and rice, slow cooker cabbage roll soup is hearty, filling, and super scrumptious!!
Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Soup
I love cabbage rolls, but I don’t always love the time it takes to roll and stuff each one! I mean, maybe I go a little overboard, but if I’m going to do it, I’m going to make a big batch.
After coming up with an unstuffed cabbage rolls recipe, I thought, “Why not make it even easier?”
Because with a busy (and busier) schedule, easy dinners are one less thing to worry about.
Enter this crockpot cabbage roll soup! You can prep all the veggies ahead of time, then brown some ground beef, open a few cans, and dump it all in the slow cooker.
A few hours later, dinner is served!
There’s so much you can do with cabbage to make it exciting and extra yummy. Mix up a slaw to go on pulled pork sandwiches, or add to it crispy chicken wonton tacos.
And if you’re craving more Asian-inspired flavors, you’ll love this recipe for egg roll in a bowl. It’s keto friendly too!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Beef – Use your favorite blend, but be sure to drain off any grease after browning.
You can also make this crockpot cabbage roll soup with ground turkey or pork, Italian sausage, or a meatless alternative. - Vegetables – You’ll need green cabbage, of course, but we’re tossing in carrots, onion, and bell pepper too!
Chopping and dicing these is the bulk of the prep work, so get it done ahead of time if you can. - Canned Tomato – You’ll need a large can of crushed tomatoes, plus tomato sauce to flavor the broth.
If you want a spicier dish, swap the crushed tomatoes for the diced version with green chiles. - Beef Stock – Vegetable stock will work in a pinch, or combine water with beef bullion.
- Rice – Long-grain white rice is best for this recipe, but brown rice or quinoa will work too.
And be sure not to cook it first! The grains will soak up the extra liquid from cabbage roll soup in a crockpot and fluff up just right. - Brown Sugar – Add just a little to balance the acidity in the soup. Then, give it a taste an hour before serving and see if it needs a little more.
Tips and Tricks to Make Cabbage Roll Soup in a Crockpot
- Chop veggies into small, similarly sized pieces.
Not only does this ensure everything cooks evenly and fully, but you’re guaranteed to get a little bit of each ingredient in every bite!
Don’t chop your cabbage too small, though, or it will practically disintegrate and melt into the broth.
For that same reason, avoid shredding the cabbage or carrots — larger pieces create a better texture.
- Adjust the flavor and consistency.
Slow cooker cabbage roll soup is a bit on the chunkier side, so feel free to add more broth or water for a thinner consistency.
Or if you want it even chunkier, use diced tomatoes instead of crushed.
You can bulk up the dish with extra veggies such as celery, zucchini, or potatoes. And for extra smoky flavor, stir in cooked and crumbled bacon during the last hour of cooking.
Craving more heat? Include some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne!
- Keep an eye on the liquid levels.
Making cabbage roll soup in a crockpot is easy to do, but it may require some monitoring — especially if you use a different type or grain or get a little heavy-handed with the veggies.
Check it occasionally towards the end of cooking to see if it needs extra beef stock. And be sure to spoon a little bit out so you can see if the rice is cooked through.
Prep Ahead
- Chop onion and cabbage
- Mince garlic
- Peel carrots and dice with bell pepper
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Slow Cooker – Great for soups, roasts, shredded chicken, and more! I love it in the cooler months, but it’s also great in the summer when you don’t want to heat up the whole house with the oven.
- A Large Skillet for browning the ground beef.
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
Serving Suggestions
You’re going to want plenty of crusty bread to soak up every last drop of this crockpot cabbage rolls soup!
A French or Italian loaf is perfect for this, or make roasted garlic skillet bread if you prefer something more tender.
With meat, veggies, and grains, this dish has everything you need for a complete meal, but you can stretch those servings with smaller bowls and a few sides.
Toss together a quick salad or bake a batch of potato wedges. Who needs ketchup when you have a rich, tomato broth for dipping?
Storing and Reheating Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup
This dish tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to meld together.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months!
Reheat crockpot cabbage rolls soup in a saucepan on the stove, adding a little water or beef stock as needed. The rice will continue to soak up some of the liquid the longer it sits.
Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight and warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup FAQ
Not with this recipe as written. It includes extra liquid for the grains to soak up, so you would need to make several adjustments if the rice is already cooked.
Also, cooked rice would need to be stirred in towards the end so it doesn’t get too mushy but can still absorb the flavors of your crockpot cabbage rolls soup.
Technically, no, but you already have to brown the ground beef… so you might as well!
Sautéeing the onion helps to soften the natural bite, enhance the sweeter flavor, and improve the texture. Along with the garlic, it flavors the ground beef too.
You bet! Brown the ground beef and saute the veggies in a large soup pot instead of a skillet, then add the remaining ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. If using brown rice or quinoa, it will likely take an extra 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Crockpot Cabbage Rolls Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium green cabbage, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Remove any excess fat from the pan. .
- Add in the chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked beef, onion, and garlic mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chopped cabbage, diced carrot, and diced bell pepper. Gently stir together.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir in the uncooked rice, brown sugar, smoked paprika, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stir the whole mixture together and top with the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables, especially the cabbage, are tender and the rice is cooked.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2024
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