Vegetarian Classic Cabbage Roll Soup

Total time1 hr

Prep time15 min

Cook time45 min

This cozy, tomato-rich soup is everything you want on a chilly night—tender cabbage and hearty rice simmered low and slow in a deeply savory broth until every bite tastes like a deconstructed cabbage roll. Sweet paprika and thyme build warmth into the base, while a hit of apple cider vinegar at the end brightens the whole pot and keeps it from tasting flat. Onion and garlic get properly softened and fragrant before the tomato paste goes in, so the broth has real depth rather than just tasting like canned tomatoes straight from the can. A shower of fresh parsley on top finishes it off with color and a little herbal lift. It's a big-batch, ladle-into-bowls kind of meal that reheats beautifully, and it fits neatly into a vegetarian lineup without losing any of that classic cabbage-roll comfort.

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Ingredients

6 servings

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Frozen Ground Be'f - 13.7 Oz Impossible Foods Ground Beef Meat from Plants - 12 oz Beyond Meat Beyond Beef Plant Based Ground Beef - 16 Oz MorningStar Farms Crumbles Plant Based Protein Vegan Meat Grillers - 12 Oz Lightlife Smart Ground Original Plant-Based Crumbles
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Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will taste lighter and less meaty; a mushroom-rich vegetable broth gives the closest beefy flavor.
½ small head green cabbage (about 4 cups), coarsely chopped
½ cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For serving

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
2
Add the diced onion to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

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