This slow cooker cabbage roll soup recipe has all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but with much less prep work.
It's made with hearty ingredients like ground beef, cabbage, tomatoes, rice, and even an extra flavor pop of bacon.
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Why This Recipes Works
This slow cooker soup is perfect for those cooler busy weeknights when you still want to sit down to a hot and hearty homemade meal.
I was inspired by my cabbage roll casserole recipe for when I wanted something similar without having to roll up cabbage rolls, but to also not have to keep an eye on the oven.
Ingredients and Substitutions
While this crockpot cabbage soup has several ingredients, they all come together to make a very flavorful and delicious meal.
- Thick-cut bacon - This isn't a required ingredient nor traditional to use in cabbage rolls, but it pairs so well with the other ingredients and adds a nice flavor pop.
- Ground beef - Use whatever fat content of ground beef you prefer as you can drain the excess grease if needed. I typically use 80 to 85%. Ground pork, ground turkey, or Italian sausage would also be tasty.
- Yellow onion - Yellow is preferable for flavor but it's not the end of the world if you only have purple or white. While fresh onion has the most flavor, you can use onion powder or dried onion if preferred.
- Bell Pepper - You can use whatever color you like the taste of most. I used red.
- Garlic - I like to purchase fresh pre-peeled garlic that I pass through a press. While fresh garlic has the most flavor, you can use garlic powder if preferred.
- Green cabbage
- Canned diced tomatoes - Just plain diced tomatoes. You can use low/no sodium if desired.
- Canned condensed tomato soup - Around 10 to 11 ounces as size can vary by brand. Unsalted tomato soup is available if desired.
- Beef broth - Can use low/no sodium or use water with additional bouillon if desired.
- V8 Original vegetable juice - If you’re not familiar with V8 it is a vegetable juice blend with a predominate tomato flavor. Plain tomato juice or other brands can be substituted. Just make sure there aren’t any flavors added that you may not enjoy in this recipe. For example, Clamato juice will also add a clam flavor.
- Paprika - There are several types of paprika sold these days. For this recipe, I generally use your run-of-the-mill unspecified kind. Otherwise, I’d use a Hungarian paprika.
- Thyme - I used dried but fresh is also good - just use 3 times as much fresh herbs than dry.
- Beef soup base - I use Better Than Bouillon or Penzey's brand. Make sure to use and taste before adding additional salt as it is quite salty (there are reduced sodium options available). These are more paste in texture than powder and I find they taste more appealing, though you can use bouillon cubes or powder if desired.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper - I again recommend not adding much salt until the end after you have tasted the soup as there are several other salty components in this recipe and you may find it doesn't need added salt.
- Uncooked long-grain white rice - I usually use jasmine rice. You can use brown rice if preferred but it will likely take longer to cook.
- Butter - This just adds a touch of silkiness and richness to the final dish.
See the recipe card at the bottom for quantities and directions.
Instructions
I used my Ninja Foodi since it can both sautee and slow cook, but if you don't have a multicooker like this, you can start cooking in your slow cooker pot if it's stovetop safe, or start the meats in a skillet and then add everything to the slow cooker.
Step 1: Cook bacon over medium heat until mostly crisp (or desired crispness). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with a paper towel and refrigerate until needed later. Leave about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot/skillet.
Step 2: Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the bacon grease and cook until the onion and pepper are softened and the ground beef is browned. Drain excess grease if needed. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Move mixture to slow cooker if needed.
Step 3: If using a multicooker, end the sautee setting and change to slow cooker. Add cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato soup, broth, V8, paprika, thyme, soup base, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper.
I recommend waiting until tasting just before serving before adding additional salt since there are several salty ingredients in this recipe.
Step 4: Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours. If using a pressure cooker multi cooker, be sure the venting knob is set to open.
Step 5: About one hour before serving, stir in ⅔ cup uncooked rice. This will help the rice be less mushy by not cooking it the whole time.
Step 6: After cooking the rice for an hour, give the soup a stir and taste the rice for doneness and seasoning. Cook for longer or add salt or pepper as needed. Stir in the tablespoon of butter.
Hint: Don't want to wait for the rice to cook? You can swap out a packet or two of microwavable rice pouches (warm in the microwave as per package directions) or use leftover cooked rice instead.
Serve: Ladle into bowls and top as desired with options such as chopped parsley, a dollop of sour cream, and the reserved bacon. The bacon can be microwaved for a few seconds to warm it back up.
Cooking Tip: Be mindful that you need to use at least a 6-quart slow cooker unless you're scaling down this recipe.
For most slow cookers, it is important to not fill them over two-thirds full for cooking safely and properly. Refer to your slow cooker's manual for exact recommendations or some will have lines printed on the pot.
Variations
- Spicy - Use spicy V8 or spicy tomato juice. Diced tomatoes with chilies like Rotel can be used instead of diced tomatoes. You can also add heat with red pepper flakes, ground cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
- Lower Carb - Carbs can be reduced by making sure to use canned items without added sugar, such as keto-friendly tomato soup. Cauliflower rice can also be used instead of traditional rice.
Equipment
Here's the kitchen equipment I recommend using to make this recipe.
- Knife and cutting board to prep veggies
- Kitchen shears (optional - I like to use them for chopping bacon and herbs)
- Ninja Foodi (what I used) or Instant Pot or a slow cooker - at least 6 quarts
- Large skillet if needed
- Slotted spoon
- Cooking spatula
- Garlic press (optional - I prefer to mincing garlic by hand)
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Soup ladle
- Soup bowls
Storage
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
I haven't tested it, but I think it should also freeze well for up to 3 months.
I recommend thawing it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheating on the stove just in case you need to cook out excess water from thawing.
My favorite storage containers for soups are these quart or pint-sized deli containers which are microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Here are some more hearty soup recipes to try:
What To Serve With Cabbage Roll Soup
These are my favorite dishes to serve with unstuffed cabbage roll soup:
Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
This easy cabbage roll soup recipe in made in a slow cooker and has all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but with much less prep work.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 large de-stemmed and de-seeded bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 6 cups green cabbage, chopped
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup (unprepared)
- 5 cups beef broth (may need more)
- 1 ½ cups V8 vegetable juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon beef soup base
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper to taste
- ⅔ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If you don’t have a multicooker with a slow cooker option or a slow cooker insert that is stovetop safe, start with a large skillet.
- In an at least 6 quart multi cooker such as a Ninja Foodi or Instapot, set to sautee at medium heat. Add 1 pound of chopped bacon and cook until mostly crisp.
- Once crisp, remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel and refrigerate until needed later. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot/skillet.
- Add 1 pound of ground beef, chopped onion, and chopped bell pepper to the bacon grease and cook until the onion and bell pepper are softened and the ground beef is browned. Drain excess grease if needed. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Turn off the heat or sautee function. If browning in a skillet, add the beef/onion/pepper/garlic to a 6-quart+ slow cooker.
- Add 6 cups chopped cabbage, a 28-ounce can of undrained diced tomatoes, a 10.75-ounce can of tomato soup, 5 cups beef broth, 1 ½ cups V8, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon beef soup base, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper. I recommend waiting until just before serving to add more salt and pepper after tasting.
- Stir, cover, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours. If using a pressure cooker multi cooker, be sure the venting knob is set to open.
- About one hour before serving, stir in ⅔ cup uncooked rice. This will help the rice be less mushy by not cooking it the whole time.
- Once the suggested cooking time has passed, give the soup a stir and taste for rice doneness and seasoning, cooking for longer or adding salt or pepper as needed. If the soup has cooked down too much for your liking, you can add additional beef broth, tomato juice, or water. Stir in the tablespoon of butter for just a bit of added silkiness and richness.
- Ladle into bowls and top as desired with chopped parsley, a dollop of sour cream, and the reserved bacon. The bacon can be microwaved for a few seconds to warm back up.
Notes
Please see the original article this recipe was featured in for information about ingredients, substitutions, cooking tips, and more: https://smartsavvyliving.com/cabbage-roll-soup-recipe-slow-cooker/
To reduce sodium content look for low or no sodium soup, broth, etc.
Optional garnish ideas: Sour cream, fresh chopped herbs (parsley, basil), sliced green onion, cheese, bacon
This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1298mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 27g
Nutrition information may not be accurate. Optional ingredients, garnishes, and toppings aren't included. Nutrition information is calculated automatically by and provided by Nutritionix. Exact nutrition information depends on the specific ingredients, brands, and amounts you use. For more precise nutrition values please input the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts into your preferred nutrition calculator.
