Ground Beef Cabbage Soup is an easy, one-pot, comforting soup with tender beef, rich tomato flavor, cabbage, and other veggies. Ready in just a half-hour!
This simple Soup Recipe is similar to Cabbage Soup, but with delicious ground beef that makes it more flavorful and hearty.
GROUND BEEF CABBAGE SOUP
Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup is a great weeknight meal, especially in the fall and winter when it’s super comforting and warming. As soon as it starts to get colder outside it’s great to count on warm dishes like this recipe, Slow Cooker Beef Stew, and Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup to keep you and your family well-fed and cozy.
On top of keeping you warm, this Beef and Cabbage Soup recipe is also budget-friendly and easy to make. Once you’ve browned the beef and onion, you just have to let the ingredients simmer together on the stove top. Of course, if you have an especially busy day and just want your dinner ready when you get home, you can always prep things in the slow cooker and let it cook throughout the day. Find the Slow Cooker version of this easy soup below.
MORE SOUP AND STEW RECIPES
Healthy Soup
While Cabbage Soup is wonderfully comforting, it’s also pretty healthy. It’s packed full of delicious vegetables, and the beef provides all the protein you need. It’s also gluten-free and low carb.
This Beef and Cabbage Soup is sometimes called Cabbage Roll Soup. That’s because it contains similar ingredients to a traditional cabbage roll. Except instead of rolling it in cabbage leaves the healthy ingredients are simmered together for a delicious soup. It’s just as simple but more hearty and comforting.

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VARIATIONS ON GROUND BEEF CABBAGE SOUP
- Meat: If you don’t want to use beef you can swap it out for ground turkey or ground chicken. If you use chicken or a different kind of meat, you can use chicken broth instead of beef stock. You could also try different kinds of beef. Instead of ground beef try adding chuck roast or corned beef to this soup. Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and brown them as usual.
- Healthy: This Cabbage and Beef Soup is already a fairly healthy recipe. It’s gluten-free and low carb. However, if you want to make it even more diet-friendly you can use lean ground beef so there is less saturated fat. Another way to lighten it up is low-sodium broth to reduce the salt.
- More filling ingredients: If you’re making this soup recipe for a bigger crowd and want to add some more filling ingredients try tossing in some brown rice and kidney beans.
- Other add-ins: There are so many different add-ins you can experiment with the next time you make Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup. Try putting in some bay leaf, cumin, or Italian seasoning. You could also chop up some chopped fire-roasted tomatoes or minced garlic. If you put in garlic, brown the minced garlic on the stove top along with the ground beef.
SLOW COOKER GROUND BEEF CABBAGE SOUP
- Add oil to a large skillet over high heat. Then toss in the ground beef, salt, pepper, and chopped onion.
- Brown the beef on all sides while breaking it apart.
- Once browned add the beef and onion to the crock pot.
- Chop the cabbage, carrots, and celery.
- Pour the beef broth, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, celery, and diced tomatoes into the crock pot.
- Stir all the ingredients together in the slow cooker.
- Cook the soup on high for 4 hours until the carrots are cooked through and tender.
INSTANT POT GROUND BEEF CABBAGE SOUP
- Set your instant pot to sauté mode and add some olive oil to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, and chopped onion to the instantpot and sauté on all sides until browned.
- Pour the beef broth, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, celery, and diced tomatoes into the instant pot with the beef.
- Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure from the instant pot and serve.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GROUND BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP
HOW TO STORE GROUND BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP
- Serve: Once the soup is cooked, enjoy it warm. Don’t leave Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once the soup has cooled, seal it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. If properly stored this Beef and Cabbage Soup recipe will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: This is also a great recipe to make a double batch of and freeze some for a few months later. You can keep Beef and Cabbage Soup in the freezer for 2-3 months. Keep it in a freezer bag or other airtight container. When you’re ready to reheat the soup, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat it in a dutch oven or other large pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat.


Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef , (85/15)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups cabbage , cut into 1" chunks
- 2 carrots , sliced
- 2 stalks celery , sliced
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes , do not drain
Instructions
- Add oil to a large pot or dutch oven on high heat.
- Add ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper, breaking it apart as you cook it until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cabbage, carrots, celery, and diced tomatoes then stir well.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes until cabbage and carrots are tender.
I made this soup a couple of weeks ago and the whole family, grandsons included, LOVED it. I’m makimg it again tonight but doubling the recipe. I also added a little more broth and cooked it longer to get the carrots a little softer for my husband who is having extensive dental work done and soup is the easiest thing for him to eat.
I sometimes get really lazy and I don’t want to roll the cabbage leaves around the hamburger so this is a lot easier and it taste about the same I love it
Great Recipe. I wanted to freeze some so I doubled the recipe, which took a little longer to cook. I also added some garlic and Worcestershire sauce when browning the beef, and a little Tabasco and extra salt while simmering the soup. It is a really delicious, and pretty healthy, soup.
Made as written served with brown bread and wedge of cheese- very delicious!
Just made this soup today, and it was delicious! Instead of adding tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes, I purred several fresh tomatoes. Also added peas, garlic, and extra seasoning. Yum!
Delicious!!
No, I wish!!!! Crazy @#$$ Country! My life would be so much easier… When I am home in Charleston, I am so tempted to add a few boxes, but my weight limit is only 50 lbs per suitcase ($150 for 51 to 70 lbs). I usually have to make my own, but that takes planning and at least 8 hours in the crockpot. I am going to try a Knorr Beef Fond cup, hope it works.
Was very good changed to recipe alittle used a can of diced tomatoes with garlic and chopped celery and a orange pepper
Tried this soup for the first time. Other hamburger soups have always been tasteless. This soup was fantastic. I did not have a small can of tomato sauce so I added most of a large can (14 oz). I also puree my tomatoes because that how I like them. I will definitely make this again.
I live in Norway and cannot get beef broth (drives me crazy). Can I use water? I hate using bullion….
Do you have access to chicken or vegetable broth? Either of those would work as well. Chicken Broth is a bit more mild and not as savory as beef broth but will retain a meaty taste.
Absolutely loved this soup am making it again right now. My husband even loves it. Thank you
I used the suggestions of Tabasco, garlic,
bay leaf ….and added sprinkle of oregano! Delish!
I liked it alot but it definitely needed more seasoning. I added, onion powder, garlic powder, some saracha, and a tad more salt.
I bet instead of tomato sauce Spicy V8 juice would be good. Going to try it
I use V-8 or Spicy V-8 in my taco soup and it adds great flavor.
Good recipe. However, please adjust the calorie content. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that 1 lbs of ground beef, olive oil and the rest of the ingredients add up to only 168 calories – unless you mean per serving, whose size is not defined, which needs clarification.
Just letting you know.
Nutrition count is always by serving. Recipe makes 8 servings. Divide pot full of soup into 8 servings.
Haven’t made it yet. I live alone just wondering how it would freeze since I sure there will be leftovers. Thanks
A serving is 1/8 of recipe, as stated. Nutritional counts are ALWAYS per serving.
Great recipe!! I was craving cabbage soup and I had left over ground beef so 5h8s was perfect and tastes SO GOOD. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Added a few more spices, lemon juice so I could cut back the salt, DEVINE. So easy, so healthy, so good.
I have had cabbage soup before, but i have never made it until i tried your recipe. It will be one of our soups over the three day family Thanksgiving that i host.
So very good. Easy to make and healthy if you use healthy oils and lean burger Quick and easy.
I added a bay leaf and 2 dashes of tabasco to add some spice and a bit more flavor. Great recipe!
Hi Sabrina,
I have a similar recipe for Hamburger Soup. I call it Hobo soup. Have you ever heard of it?
Delicious. Sometimes I add chopped garlic sausage or pepperoni. It’s a nice twist to the traditional flavour.
This is so good! I added lots of garlic salt and season salt and black pepper and a bit of lime to my bowl. Great with corn bread. Highly recommend. Also I blended the tomatoes with some chicken bullion so it wouldn’t be chunky.
Do you drain the fat after cooking the ground beef?
I drained it. And it was still very flavorful.
This soup turned out awesome! I added to it though; I put extra of all the veggies, added 4 cups of water, 1 cup v8 juice, lots of garlic and crushed peppercorn. Really good.
Delicious and Easy to make.
Made as written.
So good and will definitely make it again!
I had been wanting cabbage soup for a while now. I found your recipe and it was delicious! I added a half cup more cabbage, because I just love cabbage.
This soup turned out amazing!
Sooo good. The only thing I did different was add fresh garlic. Amazing.
Easy, delicious and very economical! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Made it exactly as written. SO good!!
So good as it is or as a base for a fancier version of the dish. I love it! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful soup! My husband and I love good soups and this one is one of the best. So easy to make.
Can I add Potatoes to this recipe?
I would say yes! May have to add more liquid but I think it would be great!
Oh my goodness this is delicious! I added paprika, fresh parsley and oregano. I also added one small potato.
I always add either some spaghetti or angel hair noodles and depending on my mood the day I make it instead of regular tomatoes I add Rotel. As I’m getting older I can’t hardly eat any of it but the mild. But you can add whichever one you prefer. Mild, original or ? Hot. I just love this stuff and could eat it everyday for the rest of my life. You can also change up the meat in it. Ham, hamburger, ground chicken or turkey. I like my chicken shredded, stew meat. Just never ending the different ways to fix it. I put rotel and spaghetti or Angel hair in them all. I love it with cornbread. My husband used to tell me you don’t have cornbread with soup and called me crazy. Well guess who eats cornbread with it now. Lol….It’s what’s for dinner tonight and just talking about it is making my mouth water plus I’m starving. Everyone have a GREAT EVENING!!! HAPPY EATING!!!
Delicious recipe! I used a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes because that’s all I had. It worked great.
This recipe was delicious! I made the crock pot option, I used the ingredients as written in the recipe, served with mashed potatoes on the side, turned out fabulous!
Soup turned out really good.
I added 1/2 of a large red bell pepper. This is a very good soup! Served it with cornbread.
Cornbread just seems to make it even better to me.
Hi there. Can I add uncooked rice and have it be cooked in the process?
Thank You.
William
It may not cook correctly in the time allotted.
I read farther back where some people did. I bet it’s good. I put spaghetti or angel hair in mine. That’s what I love about this. You can put whatever you want in it and it’s is going to be GREAT!!!
This soup is awesome! I substituted sweet Italian sausage for the ground beef, which took it to another level, but I left everything else exactly as written. Next time I’ll try it with the ground beef. My husband, who is not a big soup eater, loved it! His only suggestion was to add extra cabbage next time. Thank you so much for a recipe that will appear frequently on our dinner rotation!
good morning may I use crushed tomatoes. thank you in advance
is a serving size a cup
This looks so yummy! Would it work with impossible ground beef? (Plant based)
I haven’t tried it but it may!
I added fresh ground horseradish to give a little kick! Great recipe!!!
Yay! Thank you, Monica!
We loved this meal!! I made it n the slow cooker, though stove top would be fine too. I made it more like a chili consistency, rather than soup. I added a squirt of ketchup and TBS of Worcestershire Sauce to spice it up a bit. As you suggested, cook the rice on the side. Plenty of leftovers! Thanks
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Carla. I appreciate the 5 star rating.
Absolutely delicious! I also add 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1Tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp Italian herbs and 1 cup rice…. My husband loves it!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you all enjoyed it, Tabitha.
Could I use crushed tomatoes vice diced?
Thanks, Jan
Sure 🙂