Delicious One-Pot Cabbage Roll Soup

A comforting and nourishing soup that’s delicious, flavorful, and healthy.

Photo byMiguel Gaeta

Soups are one of my favorite ways to settle into a cold winter day.

I love spending time in the kitchen creating new recipes and enjoying our tried-and-true favorites. And this one-pot cabbage roll soup is one of our family’s favorites. It’s comforting and nourishing in the best of ways.

If you’re a cabbage lover, this one’s for you.

Growing up, I always looked forward to my aunt’s Ukrainian cabbage rolls (holubtsi) on Thanksgiving. It was my favorite part of our entire meal.

Cabbage rolls are in my top ten favorite meals of all time. But I don’t always have the time to prepare them as it's a lengthier process. As an alternative for busy days, I started making cabbage roll soup.

Cabbage roll soup can be made traditionally or plant-based. Over the years, when I started eating more plant-based foods, I wanted to create a soup that would be as satisfying as what I had become used to.

When I make this soup, I make sure to dice the veggies ahead of time with meal prep. It makes this soup come together fast.

My soups never quite turn out the same, as I’m always trying a little bit of this or that. I just can’t help myself. But this one-pot cabbage roll soup recipe is one we always seem to come back to.

• It’s satisfying
• Nutrient-dense
• Completely adaptable
• Delicious comfort food at its best
• Whole Food/plant-based

It’s an easy and delicious way to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet — without sacrificing flavor or comfort.

The best one-pot cabbage roll soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water or 2 Tbsp oil plus more water as needed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 small diced carrots
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 turnips, shredded
• 2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
• 7–9 cups water, depending on how much thick you like it (you can always add more)
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 bouillon cubes (or replace water with vegetable stock)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3/4 cup bulgur
• 3/4 cup uncooked white or brown rice
• 1 head of roughly chopped cabbage (about 5 cups)
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp sherry
• 1 Tbsp salt or to taste
• dried or fresh parsley to garnish
• A dollop of cashew sour cream

Photo byMiguel Gaeta

Instructions

1. Heat the water or oil on medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven.
2. Add the next six ingredients (onion, carrots, garlic. tomato, celery, turnips) and sauté until softened. Add in more water as needed, 1/4 cup at a time. You don’t want the vegetables to dry out. This usually takes 5–10 minutes.
3. Add in the next twelve ingredients (Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, onion and garlic powder, paprika, dill, cayenne, bay leaves, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup). Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat to a simmering boil and let cook for 10 minutes, partially covered.
5. Add in rice and bulgur. Cover partially.
6. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Add in cabbage.
8. Cover partially and cook until rice is cooked and cabbage is tender (around 30 minutes in total).
9. Add in sherry. Start with 1/2 Tbsp and add more if desired.
10. Add salt.
11. Taste and adjust to your liking.
12. Garnish with parsley and sour cream

Notes

• I used white long-grain rice for this recipe. If you use brown rice, add an additional 15 minutes of cooking time. Wait to add cabbage until the last 10–15 minutes, depending on how tender you like your cabbage.
• Make sure to make the cashew sour cream for this recipe; it turns an already delicious soup into amazing.
• As cabbage roll soup sits, it will absorb the liquid. You can add more water or enjoy it more like a stew the next day. You may need to adjust seasonings if you add in more water.
• This makes a big stockpot, so there are plenty of leftovers.
• Enjoy! :)

Photo byMiguel Gaeta