When you think about a cabbage roll, it doesn’t really sound like anything special. Ground meat and rice rolled up in a cabbage leaf and cooked in tomato sauce… it just sounds rather humble. But there’s a reason why most cultures have their own version of the dish – it’s truly delicious! And that’s exactly why we’ve gone ahead and turned it into a soup. Our Cabbage Roll Soup has all the classic flavors you love, but there’s no rolling required for you to enjoy them. Just a little bit of stirring and simmering and you get seasoned beef, rice, and tender cabbage all tucked into a savory tomato broth. Yum!

I am partial to soups that take about thirty minutes to put together, and this one comes in just over that with twenty-five minutes of simmering time. It doesn’t take long for the flavors to meld (maybe because they’re just meant to be together), it’s more that you have to simmer this long enough for the rice to cook through. In any case, it’s not a long process!

While we’ve gone with just ground beef here, you can certainly use a beef/pork combo if that’s how you normally like your cabbage rolls. After browning that with some onion and garlic, you dress it up with some chopped green cabbage, carrots, and white rice that you simmer in a beef and tomato based broth that’s accented with paprika and brown sugar. It’s like a hug in a bowl… a delicious, warm hug.