One Pot Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup

All the flavors of cabbage rolls but without all the extra work! This One Pot Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup is the perfect easy weeknight meal made with plant-based ground beef, chopped green cabbage, and rice simmered in a savory tomato, onion, and garlic broth.

I have to admit that I’ve never actually made cabbage rolls. I’ve enjoyed cabbage rolls on many occasions, from the hands and hard work of my family members who have been patient enough to make them (vegan too!). They just seem a tedious to me, at least in this phase of life I’m in, although they are so delicious! I found myself craving cabbage rolls one cold winter day, so I decided to transform cabbage rolls into a cabbage roll soup! Not only did I enjoy the flavors of cabbage rolls, but this soup also warmed my soul and brought all the cozy vibes on a very dreary winter day.

Soup Ingredients

Cabbage. There are many different types of cabbage. In this recipe I am using green cabbage, like in traditional cabbage rolls. You will need 1 head of cabbage, enough to equal 4 cups of cabbage when chopped.

Plant-based ground beef. Plant-based ground beef is becoming more common in grocery stores these days. There are a few different brands that make it. You can choose your favorite, however, I urge you to be mindful of the ingredients. My favorite vegan ground beef substitute is from Abbot’s (not sponsored). I love the texture, the taste, and the whole food minimal ingredients they use. Read below for a ground beef ingredient swap.

Onion. I like to use yellow onion in my recipes because they are sweeter than white onions. You will need 1 medium-sized onion. When you chop it, it will equate to about 2 cups of chopped yellow onion.

Garlic. I use the jarred minced garlic to cut back on meal prep time, but you can feel free to mince your own garlic cloves. You will need 1 tablespoon of minced garlic for this soup.

Olive oil. Olive oil is used to cook the yellow onion and plant-based ground beef. You will need 1-2 tablespoons (I used 2 tablespoons).

Rice. You will need 1 cup of uncooked rice. We’re cooking the rice right in the soup to make this a one-pot recipe, so there’s no need to pre-cook the rice before adding it in the soup! I used white rice, as often seen in cabbage rolls, but feel free to use another type of rice, such as brown rice, or jasmine rice.

Tomatoes. Cabbage rolls are simmered and drizzled with a vibrant tomato sauce, so naturally this cabbage roll soup features a rich and flavorful tomato broth. I added 1 can (14.5 oz) of fire roasted diced tomatoes. I like the fire roasted for the deep, smoky flavor they bring, but you may use regular canned diced tomatoes instead.

Tomato Sauce. I used a jar of marinara sauce in the broth of this soup, but feel free to use plain, canned tomato sauce.

Vegetable broth. You will need 1 carton (32 oz) of vegetable broth. If the soup doesn’t seem brothy enough you may add more vegetable broth or even water to reach the desired soup consistency. I like chunkier, less brothy soup, so 32 ounces of vegetable broth was enough for me.

Parsley. Chopped fresh parsley is added into the soup and is also used as a garnish on top of the soup. You may also use dried or partially dried parsley if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand.

Bay leaf. You will need 1 bay leaf to add to the soup broth. Bay leaves add depth of flavor and enhance the overall flavor of this soup.

Maple syrup. Adding maple syrup is optional, but I like to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce with just 1/2 tablespoon of sweet maple syrup.

Salt & pepper. The soup recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper. I don’t like to overly salt my food, so if you prefer more, you can add more to taste.

How To Make Cabbage Roll Soup

Chop the onion and add it to a stock pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, chop the cabbage into medium-sized pieces, wash, and set aside. 

Cook the plant-based ground beef in the pot with the onion according to package directions, stirring frequently. Add the parsley and let the mixture simmer another few minutes.

Add the cabbage and diced tomatoes, stir, and allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the tomato sauce, maple syrup, vegetable broth, remaining salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir everything together, cover and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low, stir in the uncooked rice, cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Stir the soup a few times to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. The soup will be ready to enjoy when the cabbage is soft and the rice is cooked.

Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

💡 Note: When storing leftover soup, the rice will likely soak up the broth. Simply add water before reheating if desired.

Recipe Variations

Use lentils instead of plant-based ground beef. I’m not a huge fan of some of the plant-based ground beef replacements. I love Abbot’s plant-based ground beef because it’s made with simple, clean ingredients and doesn’t contain a lot of ingredients or oils (not sponsored). But if you can’t find a minimally processed vegan ground beef alternative, this soup would also be delicious with lentils instead!

Add carrots. I haven’t really had carrots in cabbage rolls, but adding carrots to this soup would be delicious.

Use quinoa instead of rice. I thought about making this cabbage roll soup recipe with quinoa, but I wanted to stick with traditional cabbage rolls which are made with rice. But quinoa would be a great substitute for rice in this soup recipe.

Let me know what you think about this savory, comforting One Pot Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover an easy, nourishing, plant-based soup recipe. Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make it!

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