Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup: A healthy family favorite soup recipe made right in the crockpot! Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal prep involved.

Hearty soup recipes are some of my favorite dinner options. During the winter months, you’ll see me find every excuse to cook up a good soup.

My favorite lately though, has to be cabbage roll soup. It takes on the flavors of cabbage rolls without the time and energy they take. Once you brown the meat, this is a true dump it and forget it type recipe.

Perfect for busy weeknights, feeding crowds, or satisfying that soup craving we all seem to get this time of year (I can’t be the only one, right?).

But before we get to the recipe, let’s discuss what cabbage roll soup even is and how to select a good head of cabbage…

What is cabbage roll soup?

Cabbage roll soup is a fun twist on the classic cabbage rolls. It consists of cabbage, beef, veggies, and rice cooked in a beef tomato sauce.

It pairs great with a variety of sides too. I love them along with dinner rolls, leafy salads, or even some mashed potatoes. It makes for a real hearty and delicious meal.

BONUS: While parts of this dish may go against some diet plans, I do consider this a healthy soup option compared to other recipes out there.

slow cooker cabbage roll soup on a spoon

How to select good cabbage

Since cabbage is the star ingredient of this dish, you want to make sure to select a good head of cabbage. Below are some things to consider as you’re making your selection.

Pay attention to the appearance: a good, fresh head of lettuce is dense, large, and firm. It should be heavy in size with bright and crisp leaves without cracking or bruising.
Notice any missing layers: some stores will peel off the outer layers to make old cabbage appear fresh so pay attention to heads of lettuce that appear to have missing layers.
Check the bottom: fresh cabbage have tightly packed leaves so check to ensure the leaves aren’t starting to separate.

For best results, store cabbage in a cool and dry place once you bring it home. Wrap it in a plastic bag and consume immediately upon purchase, if possible.

Crockpot cabbage roll soup ingredients

Oil: a bit of cooking oil for browning your ground beef.
Ground beef: Lean meats work best for this recipe, ground turkey can be used as well.
Onion: onion is a star player in this dish so don’t skip this one!
Carrots: dice up those carrots nice and small for the ideal size and texture.
Garlic: a couple cloves of garlic add a boost in flavor profile.
Cabbage: it’s cabbage soup after all, this is the star ingredient!
Broth: a good beef broth provides quality flavor in this dish, more can be added for a thinner consistency.
Tomato sauce: a must have ingredient for the beef tomato sauce!
Rice: just a bit of uncooked rice adds an additional layer of texture to this soup.
Brown sugar: not too much balances out the flavors in this soup recipe.
Salt & pepper: just a bit added to taste.

ingredients for slow cooker cabbage roll soup

How to make stuffed cabbage soup

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Brown the ground beef until fully cooked.
Add all ingredients into the slow cooker and stir until well combined.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Storing stuffed cabbage soup leftovers

In the case of leftover crockpot cabbage roll soup, this keeps great. You can store it in the fridge, freeze it, and reheat it for later.

To freeze, wait for it to come to room temperature and then move to airtight containers. I find that soups do best in freezer bags. Make sure to lay them flat to maximize your storage space (even if you move them around once frozen). You can freeze stuffed cabbage soup for about 2-3 months.

To store, move to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

To reheat, thaw out the soup if frozen and warm on the stove for best results. You can also heat in 30-second increments in the microwave.