Hankering for cabbage rolls but don’t have the time or energy to make them? Try this easy and satisfying Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free unstuffed cabbage roll soup that’s packed with protein and vegetables in a tangy and savory tomato and chicken bone broth base!
Table of Contents
Cabbage roll flavors without the hassle!
Cabbage roll soup is a hearty and satisfying one-pot meal that has all the flavors of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls but none of the hassle. It’s loaded with ground beef, “rice,” tomatoes, and plenty of cabbage and carrots—all cooked in a rich and savory broth that’s seasoned to perfection with my Magic Mushroom Powder.
My spice blend adds a boost of umami and depth to the soup, making it even more delicious and satisfying! I even use cauliflower rice instead of white rice, so this cabbage soup is also entirely gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free. It’s the cozy all-in-one low carb meal you’ve been craving!
Can you make cabbage roll soup in an Instant Pot?
Of course! I have instructions for making Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the shortcut version: sauté the ground meat and onions first, dump everything else into the pot, cook the soup under high pressure for 3 to 5 minutes, and use quick release to de-pressurize the Instant Pot. With an Instant Pot, you won’t save a ton of time compared to cooking on the soup on the stovetop because it still takes time to sauté the meat and onions and bring the contents up to high pressure, but your hands-on time will be cut down dramatically!
Ingredients
- Ground meat: I like to use a combination of 1 pound lean ground beef and half a pound of ground pork, but feel free to use all beef, all pork, or substitute ground chicken thighs or ground turkey. If you want an even tastier soup, you can use bulk Italian sausage.
- Yellow onion: I use yellow onion in this soup but that’s because I always have one in my pantry. Feel free to use leeks, shallots, or a different colored onion.
- Garlic
- Magic Mushroom Powder: My versatile seasoning salt adds so much umami to this dish! If you don’t have any, you can use Diamond Crystal kosher salt instead.
- Tomato paste: I use three kinds of tomatoes to give this dish an extra-big boost of umami. Tomato paste is the most concentrated and umami-packed form, so it really is indispensable.
- Chicken broth: I normally use chicken bone broth in this soup, but beef broth also works!
- Canned crushed tomatoes: If you don’t have canned crushed tomatoes but you have an extra can of diced tomatoes, simply blend up the contents of that can and you’ve got crushed tomatoes. A can of tomato sauce will also work!
- Canned diced tomatoes: If you want to add even more flavor, get yourself some fire-roasted diced tomatoes!
- Chopped cabbage: I use about 1 pound of coarsely chopped green cabbage—about half of a medium/small cabbage. Feel free to substitute Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, or savoy cabbage.
- Carrots
- Dried thyme: Feel free to use dried oregano, dried basil, or Italian seasoning. All of them work great in this recipe!
- Dried bay leaf
- Riced cauliflower: In place of white rice, I use about 3 cups of riced cauliflower. You can make your own or buy pre-riced fresh or frozen cauliflower. I personally like the frozen stuff because it cooks quickly. (Besides, I always have a bag of the stuff in my freezer.)
- Red wine vinegar: This adds a nice tang to the soup. You can also use apple cider vinegar for a touch of acid.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Minced Italian parsley (optional garnish)
How to make cabbage roll soup
Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the beef, pork, and onions. (No need for oil because the ground meat will release some!)
Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink and the onions have softened. (If you‘re using lean ground meat, there’s no need to drain the grease.)
Add the Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt, tomato paste, and minced garlic.
Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the broth, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes.
Then, add the chopped cabbage and carrots. Stir in the dried thyme and bay leaf.
Cover the pot, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
When the soup comes to a boil, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
Partly cover the pot with the lid and simmer the soup for about 25 minutes or until the cabbage and carrots are fork tender.
Add the riced cauliflower and increase the heat as needed to bring the soup back to a simmer.
Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 5 or 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Stir in the red wine vinegar.
Taste for seasoning and add Magic Mushroom Powder, salt, and pepper as needed.
Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.
Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Ladle up the soup into serving bowls and enjoy!
How to save leftovers
You can save leftover soup in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It freezes and thaws beautifully, so it makes for a perfect meal prep dinner!
More hearty and easy soup recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Cabbage Roll Soup with Cauliflower Rice (Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 small onion diced
- Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups chicken bone broth or beef bone broth
- 14 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chopped green cabbage
- 2 large carrots, cut into coins
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 cups riced cauliflower, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup minced Italian parsley optional
Instructions
Stovetop instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the beef, pork, and onions. (No need for oil because the ground meat will release some!)
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink and the onions have softened. (If you‘re using lean ground meat, there's no need to drain the grease.)
- Add 1 teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt, tomato paste, and minced garlic. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes. Then, add the chopped cabbage and carrots. Stir in the dried thyme and bay leaf.
- Cover the pot, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. When the soup comes to a boil, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Partly cover the pot with the lid and simmer the soup for about 25 minutes or until the cabbage and carrots are fork tender.
- Add the riced cauliflower and increase the heat as needed to bring the soup back to a simmer. Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 5 or 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add Magic Mushroom Powder, salt, and pepper as needed.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn on the saute function and add the ground beef, pork, and onions. Add 1 teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are slightly softened.
- Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes. Then, add the chopped cabbage, carrots, dried thyme, bay leaf, and riced cauliflower.
- Lock on the lid and program the Instant Pot to cook for 3 minutes under high pressure. Release the pressure manually when the soup is finished cooking.
- Add the red wine vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add Magic Mushroom Powder, salt, and pepper as needed.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was excellent! I used double the meat and extra bone broth to make a Hugh pot!
Love this recipe! I used 16 oz of finely chopped white mushrooms that I thoroughly browned instead of pork (husband is Adventist) and the recipe came out so yummy! He is a picky eater so he isn’t into all the healthy soups I make but he said this one had good flavor. (That is like a five star from him.) Stuffed cabbage is one of my comfort foods so I am happy that I found this recipe.
Absolutely delicious! A keeper for sure! I used Trader Joes Cruciferous Crunch Collection (shredded kale, broccoli, Brussels, rede/green cabbage.
This was really good! I thoughti would miss the rice but i actually enjoyed the cauliflower rice in this recipe. I also used canned meat that i had on hard and it turned out great with it as well