Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup [Video]

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup has all the flavors of cabbage rolls but without the fuss and prep effort! It is a family favorite soup made with ground beef, cabbage, onion, beef broth, tomato sauce, and slowly simmered to perfection in the crock pot. 

The world loves cabbage recipes! And this is just one of the many recipes that we utilize the versatile ingredient. I personally like Bacon Fried Cabbage, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Cabbage Soup! Try them all and see for yourself!

Crock pot Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

This Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup was always a favorite meal in our family gatherings since early ages. My grandfather was half Polish, so this hearty meal along with Fried Cabbage and Noodles (Haluski) was pretty much on our weekly rotational menu. 🙂

Even now, it is one of our whole family’s favorite homemade comfort food. First, this is an easy soup recipe to make. You simply fill the pot with the ingredients, then add the broth to it.

Then, close the lid, and let it slowly simmer for hours. It has bold flavors and we love to serve it with just dinner rolls. Also, it has grains, meat, and vegetables all in one tasty and hearty dish!

The traditional cabbage rolls are individual rolls cooked in a tomato-based sauce. Many places have their unique version. Although the fillings may vary, they always contain grains, meat, and vegetables wrapped in leaves.

The cabbage leaves, by the way, are naturally mild in flavor and so, it provides a nice balance to all of these tasty ingredients. Also, this dish does not require rolling them individually. Instead, you get to taste all the ingredients with less effort. Thereby making it a nice dish to serve for a big crowd or during busy weeknights!

And having to use the crockpot means less watching over your dish as it cooks. Aside from simply putting all the ingredients together in the crockpot, you get to extract more flavors out of them because of the slow cooking.

Is Cabbage Roll Soup healthy?

Yes! This dish provides a nice balance of protein from the meat, fiber from the veggies, and carbs from the grains. Also, just make sure to use low-sodium broth for this recipe and the leanest ground meat possible.

Some recipes call for frying and using extra fat, while some recipes are vegetarian. Generally speaking, find alternatives that can work for the diet that you are on so it could be healthy for you.

It highly depends on how much of the good stuff is put in the dish. Also, since not all cabbage rolls are created equal and there could be various versions, there could be differences in the health benefits.

However, if you are looking for an even healthier version of a cabbage soup, try this Instant Pot Weight Loss Soup. 

How to Make Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup?

Here are the general steps on how to prepare this dish. For full ingredients list and exact amounts, check out the recipe card below. 

1. Brown the meat: In a large skillet, over medium heat, add a bit of olive oil. Then, add the diced onion and brown the ground beef until no longer pink.
2. Combine: Next, season the meat and transfer it to the crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cook: Lastly, cover the lid, then, set to either low heat or high heat settings. Also, the length of time will depend on that setting.
4. Serve: Once done, ladle serving portions into bowls and serve warm.

Variations and Substitutions:

• Meat: Feel free to substitute the lean ground beef, with ground pork, ground turkey, or even sausages. All are great alternatives depending on your preference. In addition, for extra flavors add some bacon to it.
• Rice: Also, you could use brown rice instead of long-grain white rice. 
• Broth: It does not matter if you use other kinds of broth. Chicken stock or vegetable broth is also good. Just use the low-sodium version. 
• Spices: Feel free to change up the mix and adjust them to your preference. 
• Veggies: Add sweet corn, green peas, or celery.
• Tomato juice: You could also use tomato juice in place of the tomato sauce. 

Low Carb Version:

This slow cooker soup calls for a cup of long-grain white rice. However, to make it a low carb meal and a keto-friendly meal, simply swap it with cauliflower rice instead. 

Just make sure to add the cauliflower rice towards the end of the cooking process. 

Instant Pot option:

Making this delicious recipe in the pressure cooker is another great alternative. First, the cooking time is greatly reduced. In less than 30 minutes, you have a hearty soup ready.

Also, it is a labor intensive process as well. You simply add the ingredients to the instant pot, cover, and cook under high pressure. 

Check out this Easy Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup recipe. 

Favorite toppings:

I love adding the following toppings to it:

• Crispy bacon
• Chopped parsley
• A dollop of sour cream
• Croutons 
• Shredded cheese
• Chopped jalapeno

What to serve with it?

This crockpot cabbage roll soup recipe is a full meal on its own. We mostly serve it with a slice of bread on the side or with some veggies. 

But here are some additional great dishes you can combine it with:

How long is it good for?

Properly stored leftover soup in an airtight container will last for up to four days. 

Can you freeze Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup?

Yes! It freezes well and can stay good for more or less 3 months. First, just make sure to cool it down at room temperature prior to freezing. Then, put it in freezer bags and squeeze out any excess air before putting it in the freezer.

Also, to reheat, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge a night before to start the thawing process. Reheat on the stove.

More homemade cabbage recipes:

Recipe Tips:

• If you plan on using bacon, then first fry in the skillet. Then, use the remaining grease from it to brown the beef. This will add delicious flavors to the whole dish. 
• Also, use the leanest beef you can find so that you will no longer need to drain the grease after browning.
• If some grease will be produced, drain it first before putting any of the seasonings if you must.
• In addition, browning the meat is optional. It is an easy way to lock the flavors. However, you can skip this step if short on time.