Cabbage Roll Soup

Satisfying cabbage roll soup is a filling meal in a bowl! Skip all the work and enjoy your cabbage rolls in the form of a hearty soup recipe.

Cabbage rolls are the kind of rustic, filling dinner that immediately makes you feel cozy inside. But the work it takes to make them? It can be a LOT to pack into a busy evening! Enter this cabbage roll soup.

This vegan cabbage roll soup recipe is as cozy as the traditional version, but it simplifies the process by eliminating the rolling. This one-pot wonder has all the same ingredients, but they’re simply simmered together to create a deeply satisfying meal with far less effort.

Stuffed cabbage soup isn’t just easier to make than traditional cabbage rolls, it’s also a great option for meal prep! It keeps well and it’s one of those fabulous recipes where the flavours continue to meld and deepen over time. 

Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

• Hearty and satisfying. Some soups leave you hungry for more, but not this cabbage roll soup. Packed with vegetables, grains, and protein, this soup will fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours.
• Easy to make. No more fussing with boiling and rolling individual cabbage leaves! This recipe simplifies the process by throwing everything into one pot for a delicious and easy meal.
• Vegan. Most cabbage roll soup recipes are made with ground beef, pork, or sausage, but this version is completely plant-based.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Olive oil 
• Yellow onion – A white onion or shallots also work. 
• Vegan beef – Use your favourite plant-based ground beef substitute.
• Salt 
• Carrots – Cut the carrots into rounds.
• Garlic
• Cabbage – Green cabbage is perfect for this recipe, but savoy cabbage is fine too. Avoid purple cabbage, as it will colour the soup.
• Veggie broth – Here’s how to make your own vegetable broth.
• Tomato sauce – For a rich, thick broth.
• Diced tomatoes
• Brown sugar – Just a bit, to cut the acid from the tomatoes.
• Seasonings – Dried oregano, pepper, and bay leaves.
• White rice – The rice will cook in the broth, so there’s no need to cook it first.
• Fresh parsley

How Do You Slice and Core Cabbage?

To core and slice cabbage for this cabbage roll soup recipe, follow these steps:

• Rinse the cabbage under cold water and remove any loose outer leaves.
• Place the cabbage on a cutting board with the stem side down.
• With a sharp knife, slice the cabbage in half through the core.
• Lay each half flat and cut in half again to create quarters.
• Angle the knife and cut out the core from each quarter by slicing diagonally toward where the core meets the leaves.
• To slice, lay each quarter flat and cut across the wedge to create strips.

How to Make Cabbage Roll Soup

• Sweat the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s softened and translucent. 
• Brown the vegan beef. Add the vegan beef to the pot, season with salt, and cook until it’s browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. 
• Cook the veggies. Add the carrots, garlic, and cabbage to the pot and sauté until the cabbage wilts slightly and the carrots soften a bit. 

• Simmer. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, oregano, pepper, bay leaves, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. 
• Finish. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. 

Tips for Success

• Cut the carrots evenly. This ensures that they all finish cooking at the same time so you’re not left with some carrots that are crunchy and others that are mushy!
• Manage the rice texture. If you prefer your rice with a firmer bite, you can simmer the soup for slightly less time. 
• Adjust the sweetness. The brown sugar adds a subtle sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, but some cabbage roll recipes are quite sweet, and you may want your cabbage roll soup to be a bit sweeter to match. Feel free to add more sugar to reach your desired taste.

Variations

• Skip the vegan beef. Looking for a more natural option? Use crumbled tempeh instead of store-bought plant beef. (Here’s more about how to cook tempeh.)
• Add a spicy kick. If you enjoy heat, consider adding red pepper flakes or cayenne to the soup to give it a spicy flavour.
• Switch up the grains. Although white rice is classic, feel free to substitute it with brown rice, quinoa, or even barley. Note that you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Load up on legumes. For an even heartier soup, pack in extra protein by adding cooked or canned lentils, white beans, or chickpeas.

Serving Suggestions

I always love serving soup with bread for soaking up the broth. Try my no knead bread or garlic and rosemary focaccia bread. Soup is also fantastic with a sandwich, like this vegan BLT sandwich or smashed chickpea avocado sandwich. For a lighter option, serve cabbage roll soup with cucumber and tomato salad.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer leftover cabbage roll soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat. 

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

If you want to freeze this soup, it will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

• Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Mulligatawny Soup
• Creamy Vegan Instant Pot Potato Soup

Enjoy friends! If you make this cabbage roll soup, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!