Beef and Cabbage Soup
This Beef and Cabbage Soup is a warm, hearty, and satisfying meal, perfect for chilly evenings. Simmered green cabbage turns mild and sweet, complementing tender ground beef, while aromatic veggies, herbs, and vibrant diced tomatoes blend into a cozy, delicious dinner—tasting even better the next day!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
A hearty cabbage and beef soup is the perfect way to ease into the milder spring season and still enjoy a warm and satisfying meal. The fresh vegetables make this soup nutritious and wholesome, while the tender ground beef adds heartiness without heaviness. Perfect for a cozy dinner or as leftovers for lunch, this soup is versatile enough to accommodate whatever veggies you’ve got!
As the cabbage slowly cooks, it takes on a meltingly tender texture, enhancing its overall depth. A rich tomato and beef broth base with a splash of red wine brings a delightful acidity and vibrant color to the soup.
One of the best aspects of this Beef and Cabbage Soup is how quickly it comes together. Thanks to the ground beef, it takes less than an hour to prepare. Soups that use beef stew meat instead can take hours of simmering time to become tender. Not only is this soup quick and straightforward to prepare, but the flavors only get better with time, making the leftovers even more enjoyable the next day!
This Beef Cabbage Soup recipe is:
- Hearty! Protein-rich ground beef and lots of vegetables make this dish super satisfying.
- Aromatic. The enticing aroma of simmering herbs, vegetables, and beef will make your kitchen smell amazing!
- Versatile. You can swap out the beef for a different protein source or change the veggies to suit your preference!
- Simple and easy! This soup comes together in just one pot!
- Make-ahead! This soup is delicious as leftovers!
How to Make Beef and Cabbage Soup:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this beef cabbage soup recipe. The recipe card below has the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Ground Beef: This cabbage and beef soup recipe uses lean ground beef for a rich and hearty flavor that is not too heavy. 80/20 (80% lean to 20% fat) is always a good choice, but if you prefer it more lean, use 90/10. You can use ground chicken, turkey, or a plant-based alternative.
- Green Cabbage: This soup recipe uses a half head of green cabbage. You can swap out the green cabbage for Savoy cabbage, which is milder and sweeter than green cabbage. If you don’t like cabbage, other soup-friendly greens, such as kale, can also work in this recipe.
- Beef Broth: This beef cabbage soup recipe calls for beef broth, which has a deep and rich flavor. You can also use beef stock. If you use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, substitute the beef broth with chicken or vegetable broth.
- Diced Tomatoes: Petite diced tomatoes help add more of that tomato flavor with just a bit of texture that melds nicely into the soup. This cabbage and beef soup recipe calls for one can of undrained petite diced tomatoes, but you can also use regular ones.
- Dry Red Wine: Red wine adds acidity and depth to the soup. NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTION: If you do not consume alcohol, you can substitute the red wine with one tablespoon of red wine vinegar with water added to make 1/4 cup or 1/4 cup of pomegranate juice.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce is a fermented condiment that adds savoriness. Since this sauce typically has anchovies for that umami flavor, use a vegan version of the sauce instead if you have a fish allergy.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until it’s browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked ground beef, beef broth, petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dry red wine, Worcestershire, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
- Add the chopped fresh parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Done! A hearty cabbage and ground beef soup is perfect for dinner tonight, tomorrow, and is freezer-friendly for dinners beyond!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- A splash of dry red wine brings acidity to the soup, which can help balance out the bit of sweetness from the cabbage and the other vegetables. This elevates the overall taste and prevents the soup from being one-dimensional. It also helps to add a deep, rich color to the soup.
- Letting soup rest for approximately 15 minutes so the flavors can meld enhances the flavor. (The soup will be too hot right off the stove anyway.)
Recipe FAQs:
This soup recipe uses ground beef, which is naturally more tender than beef stew meat. This allows the soup to come together quickly in less than an hour, whereas recipes using beef stew meat can take hours of simmering to become tender.
Yes, you can! Get it prepped to the point of simmering. Transfer to your slow cooker (this can be done the night before). Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.
Absolutely! The flavors deepen when the soup is stored overnight. Just refrigerate it in an airtight container and reheat it when ready to serve. This soup will last for up to five days in the refrigerator.
This soup freezes great! Cool the cabbage and ground beef soup completely, place it in airtight containers in the desired quantity, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or freezer and reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Variations:
- Make this cabbage and beef soup sweet and sour with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Add 1/2 cup uncooked white rice for an unstuffed cabbage roll-style soup.
- Add heat by including red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce. Adjust according to your heat preference.
Storage:
- Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Freeze in airtight containers for up to three months.
Serve with:
More great cabbage recipes you’ll love!
- Cabbage and Potato Soup Recipe
- Old-Fashioned Potato Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
- Farmhouse Cabbage Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kielbasa
- Rustic Cabbage and Root Vegetable Soup
Get all my soup recipes at Soup Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Beef and Cabbage Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil - or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion - chopped (3 cups)
- 2 large carrots - chopped (2 cups)
- 3 stalks celery - chopped (2 cups)
- 1/2 head green cabbage - coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) petite diced or diced tomatoes - undrained
- 1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, reduce heat to medium, and cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks until it's browned. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked ground beef, beef broth, petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dry red wine, Worcestershire, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
- Add the chopped fresh parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Recipe Notes
-
- Make this cabbage and beef soup sweet and sour with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice or white vinegar.
-
- Add 1/2 cup uncooked white rice for an unstuffed cabbage roll-style soup.
- You can use ground chicken, turkey, or a plant-based alternative.
- Other soup-friendly greens, such as kale, can also work in this recipe.
- If you use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, substitute the beef broth with chicken or vegetable broth.
- NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTION: Substitute the red wine with one tablespoon of red wine vinegar with water added to make 1/4 cup or 1/4 cup of pomegranate juice.
- Letting soup rest for approximately 15 minutes so the flavors can meld enhances the flavor.
- Cool soup completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container and reheat it when ready to serve. This soup will last for up to five days in the refrigerator.
- Cool the cabbage and ground beef soup completely, place it in airtight containers in the desired quantity, and freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator or freezer and reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Can you use red cabbage?
Hi, VJ, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you could substitute red if that’s what you have or you prefer. A lot of times I avoid it in certain recipes because it has a tendancy to turn the dish a funky color. However, because the tomatoes and beef broth in this recipe, I don’t think you’ll have that problem. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!