This Stuffed Cabbage Soup is outrageously good! It’s packed with Italian sausage, tender rice, plenty of vegetables, and a rich broth. Grab some warm bread for dunking!
Author’s Notes
From Cabbage Rolls to Soup!
If you aren’t familiar, cabbage rolls are cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling, usually ground beef or pork mixed with rice, onions, and seasonings. They’re typically baked or simmered in a tomato-based sauce until the cabbage is nice and tender.
I had the best cabbage rolls of my life years ago while traveling through Jaffa, and honestly, I’ve never been able to get them out of my mind! So with it being soup season and all, I thought it would be fun to turn those same flavors into a deconstructed version. Everything gets chopped and cooked together in one pot instead of stuffing and rolling individual cabbage leaves.
And this cabbage roll soup is INCREDIBLE. Every bit as good as the cabbage rolls I remember, but honestly maybe even more comforting since I get to eat it out of a big bowl with plenty of toasted, buttered bread for dunking. The flavors are SO good in this one, and I can’t wait for you to try it!
Stuffed Cabbage Soup Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Italian sausage | Let it get deeply browned before removing it from the pot. That extra color adds tons of flavor to this soup. |
| Onion, carrots, garlic & cabbage | Dice the onion and carrots very small so they soften nicely and don’t overpower the soup. Coarsely chop the cabbage into easy-to-eat pieces. |
| Tomato paste, tomato sauce & fire-roasted tomatoes | Cook the tomato paste and tomatoes for a few minutes before adding the broth to deepen the flavor. The better the quality of the tomatoes, the better this cabbage roll soup will taste. Some canned tomatoes can be a little acidic, so a touch of sugar helps balance them out. |
| Paprika, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire & beef bouillon | Start lighter on the bouillon and add more at the end after tasting. |
| Basmati rice, brown sugar, parsley & lemon | I love using basmati rice here because it holds its texture so well and doesn’t get mushy. Add the parsley and lemon at the end for the freshest flavor. |
Chelsea’s Notes
A few helpful tips
- Take your time layering the flavors. This is my number one tip for making stuffed cabbage soup. Let the sausage get deeply browned, give the veggies time to soften, and let the tomatoes cook for a few minutes before adding the broth. Those little steps make a big difference!
- Leave some sausage drippings in the pot. They add so much flavor!
- Stir the rice occasionally. It can settle on the bottom of the pot and stick.
- Expect the soup to thicken as it sits. The rice will continue absorbing the broth, so thin it with additional stock, broth, or water as needed.
Stuffed Cabbage Soup Serving Suggestions
For this soup, I’d keep the sides simple since it’s already really hearty:
- Crusty buttered bread or garlic bread for dunking
- No-knead focaccia
- Simple garden salad with a bright vinaigrette
- Pear salad or apple salad for something fresh & a little sweet
- Roasted green beans or asparagus
- Dinner rolls with salted butter
Storage
If you’re planning on leftovers or making this stuffed cabbage soup ahead of time, cook the rice separately. This keeps it from soaking up too much broth and getting overly soft in the fridge.
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Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large or 2 medium
- 1-3/4 cup finely diced carrots 4 carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
- 5 packed cups coarsely chopped cabbage
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken stock or broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar gently packed
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 up to 3 teaspoons beef bouillion add to taste preference
- 1 large lemon 1/2 tsp zest; 1-2 tablespoons juice
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- Hearty buttered bread optional, for serving (I like to toast, butter, and dunk; yum!)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sausage and season with 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Let it sear for 1–2 minutes before breaking it apart. Continue cooking until deeply browned. More color=more flavor!
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving behind 2 tbsp of grease in the pot. Add onion and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cabbage, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring more regularly.
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat if anything is burning. Pour in chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, then add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in the rice, cover the pot, and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Replace the lid promptly after stirring.
- Remove the lid and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the brown sugar, parsley, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add 1 teaspoon beef bouillon, then taste and add more, up to 3 teaspoons total, until the flavors really pop. Add more lemon juice if desired.
- Serve right away with freshly grated Parmesan and crusty buttered bread for dunking. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits and can become almost stew-like. Thin with a splash of water or broth as needed.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe sounds delicious and I plan on making it but with one change. Italian sausage? I’ll use ground beef. Just wondering if sausage was a personal preference. It isn’t a usual ingredient for this dish.
Yes! I actually tested it with ground beef first, then tried Italian sausage and found it added so much more flavor! I ended up enjoying the sausage version more, but ground beef absolutely works too. Hope you love it!