Cabbage Roll Soup: Easy One-Pot Golumpki Soup

Cabbage roll soup is everything you love about stuffed cabbage, minus the hours of rolling. Savory beef, tender rice, tangy tomato broth and soft ribbons of cabbage simmer together in one pot, which is why this golumpki soup recipe keeps climbing as Pinterest flags cabbage as a breakout ingredient for 2026.

It is budget-friendly, freezer-friendly and exactly the cozy dinner that cold evenings call for. Think of it as an unstuffed cabbage roll soup that feeds a crowd.

Recipe at a Glance

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 8

Category: Soup, main course

Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Roll Soup

• All the flavor of cabbage rolls with no rolling and no baking dish.
• One pot, about an hour, and mostly hands-off simmering.
• Budget-friendly, because cabbage, rice and ground beef stretch a long way.
• It freezes well, which makes it ideal for meal prep and batch cooking.
• Packed with fiber from the cabbage and hearty protein from the beef.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound (450 g) lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small green cabbage (about 1.5 lb / 700 g), cored and chopped
• 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups (1.4 L) beef broth
• 2/3 cup (130 g) long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh dill and sour cream, for serving

How to Make Cabbage Roll Soup (One-Pot Golumpki Soup)

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika and thyme for 1 minute.
3. Add the cabbage, crushed tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
4. Stir in the rice, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the rice and cabbage are tender.
5. Remove the bay leaves, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of broth if it is too thick.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh dill and a spoonful of sour cream.

Tips for the Best Cabbage Roll Soup

• Chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces so every spoonful has some.
• Do not skip the vinegar and brown sugar. They balance the tomatoes.
• The rice keeps absorbing broth, so add extra when reheating.
• Use half beef and half pork for a more traditional golumpki flavor.
• Let the pot rest for 10 minutes off the heat so the flavors settle.

Variations to Try

• Slow cooker cabbage roll soup: brown the beef and onion, then cook everything on low for 7 to 8 hours, adding the rice for the last 45 minutes.
• Swap the beef for ground turkey or sliced smoked sausage.
• Make it vegetarian with mushrooms, lentils and vegetable broth.
• Stir in cauliflower rice at the end for a lower-carb unstuffed cabbage roll soup.
• Finish with a spoonful of sauerkraut for extra tang.

How to Store It

Cool completely and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. To freeze, ladle into freezer-safe containers and store for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with extra broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze cabbage roll soup with rice in it?

Yes. The rice softens a little after freezing, so slightly undercook it if you plan to freeze, and add broth when reheating.

How do you make cabbage roll soup in the slow cooker?

Brown the beef and onion first, add everything except the rice, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, then stir in the rice for the final 45 minutes.

What is the difference between golumpki and cabbage roll soup?

Golumpki are Polish stuffed cabbage rolls. The soup uses the same flavors, beef, rice, tomato and cabbage, without the rolling.

What goes well with cabbage roll soup?

Rye bread, buttered dinner rolls or a scoop of mashed potatoes are all great for soaking up the broth.

Cabbage Roll Soup

An easy one-pot golumpki soup with beef, rice, tomatoes and tender cabbage. All the flavor of stuffed cabbage rolls without the rolling.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Calories: 310

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small green cabbage cored and chopped
• 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2/3 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh dill and sour cream for serving

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven or soup pot (for simmering)
• Sharp chef knife (for chopping the cabbage)
• Ladle (for serving)

Method

 

1. Step 1: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it up.
2. Tip: Drain excess fat if the beef is not lean.
3. Step 2: Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika and thyme for 1 minute.
4. Step 3: Add the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
5. Step 4: Stir in the rice, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
6. Tip: Stir once or twice so the rice does not stick.
7. Step 5: Remove the bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper.
8. Step 6: Serve topped with fresh dill and sour cream.

Notes

The rice keeps absorbing liquid as the soup sits. Add a splash of broth when reheating.
Freezes well for up to 3 months. For a slow cooker version, add the rice for the last 45 minutes.