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This easy beef cabbage soup recipe (sometimes called hamburger cabbage soup) tastes so rich and hearty, you’d never guess it was healthy. It’s a lot like my hamburger soup, but with the added comfort factor of cabbage instead of some of the other veggies. Let me show you how to make cabbage soup with ground beef, tender veggies, and only 15 minutes of hands-on prep — including Crock Pot or Instant Pot options.
If you like this cabbage soup recipe, you’ll probably also enjoy my detox soup.
Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Rich, beefy flavor
- Tender meat with soft vegetables
- Simple ingredients with minimal chopping
- 15 minutes of prep time
- Make this easy cabbage soup recipe in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stove top
- Naturally paleo, whole30, keto, and low carb
- The perfect light meal that keeps you full and satisfied!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for cabbage and ground beef soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options (see more in the Variations section below). For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Avocado Oil – You can also use olive oil, or whatever neutral cooking oil you prefer.
- Onion – A white or yellow onion is best, but red onion can work as well.
- Ground Beef – I typically use 85/15 grass-fed beef, which is flavorful without being too greasy, but use any variety you like. While this is a recipe for cabbage soup with hamburger, you can also make it using other ground meats (see ideas in the Variations section below).
- Shredded Coleslaw Mix – Makes for minimal chopping in this simple cabbage soup recipe! If you want to avoid the added carrot, you can also use plain shredded cabbage.
- Beef Broth – I use homemade bone broth, but a store-bought variety beef broth works too. Chicken broth and vegetable broth also make fine substitutions.
- Diced Tomatoes – These are the kind that come in a can. Include them with the liquid for extra flavor and for the right amount of liquid in the soup.
- Herbs & Spices – Including Italian seasoning (make homemade Italian seasoning for best flavor!), garlic powder, bay leaves, sea salt, and black pepper. If you like a little kick, add some cayenne pepper to taste.
How To Make Cabbage Soup With Hamburger
This section shows how to make cabbage soup with ground beef, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Saute onions. Heat oil in the Instant Pot (or saute pan, if using a slow cooker). Cook onions until softened.
- Cook beef. Increase temperature to medium-high heat and add ground beef, cooking until browned.
- Add remaining ingredients. Transfer the beef and onions to a slow cooker (or leave in the Instant Pot if using that method.) Stir in the coleslaw mix, diced tomatoes (with liquid), broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and whole bay leaves.
- Cook. Cook hamburger cabbage soup in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot, until ingredients are softened and cooked through. (Times will vary depending on cooking vessel of choice — see recipe card below.) I like to garnish with fresh parsley, but this is optional.
VARIATION: Cook ground beef cabbage soup on the stove top instead.
Follow the same steps, but use a large pot and cook on the stove. After adding ingredients to the pot in step 3, bring to a boil and simmer for 30-60 minutes, or until the flavors develop to your liking.
Variations Of Beef Cabbage Soup
- Skip the meat – Make it vegetarian by omitting the beef and use vegetable broth instead of beef bone broth.
- Use different ground meats – Instead of hamburger soup with cabbage, trade beef for ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or Italian sausage with casings removed.
- Add beans – If your lifestyle allows beans, they would make a perfect addition to this soup. Simply rinse and drain beans before adding to the pot. Try it with cannellini beans or kidney beans!
- Try other added veggies – This soup would taste delicious with cauliflower, bell peppers, or celery added!
- Include potatoes – If you wish to have potatoes in your soup, saute them to brown after the onions, then cook as usual. They’ll soften while the soup cooks.
- Use whole cabbage – I typically use coleslaw mix as a time-saving shortcut whenever I make cabbage soup recipes, but you can simply chop it yourself instead of using a mix.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice – It brightens up the flavor and adds a boost of vitamin C! Add it at the end of cooking, to taste.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Cool cabbage beef soup leftovers to room temperature, then cover and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: Shred cabbage (if not using a pre-shredded mix), and cook onions and beef ahead of time and store until ready to complete the recipe. You can also make the entire soup ahead of time, since it stores very well. It’s easy to make a double batch!
- Freeze: Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm up the soup on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the microwave.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
If you like this hearty Crock Pot cabbage soup with hamburger, you’ll love these other cozy soups too!
Tools To Make Cabbage Soup Recipes
- Saute Pan – Only needed if using the stovetop or slow cooker version of this recipe.
- Instant Pot – Makes the best cabbage soup recipe in the least time!
- Crock Pot – My favorite for low and slow cooking.
Beef Cabbage Soup Recipe
Cabbage Soup With Hamburger (Crock Pot or Instant Pot)
Make this easy beef cabbage soup recipe in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot! Cabbage soup with hamburger is cozy, healthy, and easy.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Crock Pot Instructions:
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Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown.
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Add ground beef to the pan. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for about 7-10 minutes, until the beef is browned.
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Meanwhile, place the remaining ingredients into the Crock Pot.
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When the beef is browned, add the beef and onion mixture to the Crock Pot. Stir to combine. Season with more salt and/or pepper to taste.
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Cook for 5-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Instant Pot Instructions:
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Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Add the oil and chopped onions. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown.
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Add ground beef to the Instant Pot. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Increase saute temperature to "High". Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for about 7-10 minutes, until the beef is cooked through.
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When the beef is done, turn off heat and add the remaining ingredients into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Season with more salt and/or pepper to taste.
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Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Press the Manual button and adjust the time to 20 minutes. When cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then use quick release. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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302 Comments
Ruth Taddy
0If you were like me a few decades ago, you joined Weight Watchers. A staple recipe in WW was their cabbage soup. It was good, but your cabbage soup is next level tasty because it has meat!!🎉 And of course, it’s perfectly seasoned; so thank you for sharing it with us!
Laura J Jones-Cross
0I have made this soup (one just like it) for years! When I am feeling bloated, I make a big pot and eat if for a few days. It also freezes well.
Ashleigh Denton
0I used spicy sausage and half of a jalapeño with a can of tomatoes and the bagged shredded cabbage. It turned out great! I decreased the broth to 5 cups and it was still such a great soup for this cold 30° day here in Oklahoma
Thank you!
Barbara
0I really enjoyed this soup. Made it in a crockpot. There were no leftovers! Easy to make.
Lynne Snowball
0I made this yesterday, I sub the beef with ground chicken and added extra cabbage. I love it.. We are big soup eaters and this hits the spot on a cold winters day. Thank you for the recipe.
Ceci
0I used to think cabbage soup was a bland diet food, but not this hearty, savory soup!! I followed the recipe suggestions and added potatoes to my batch. I cannot express how delicious this recipe was and it will be a staple in my household from here on out. Thank you!!
Helena Winegar
0Love this soup! I made in instant pot. I chopped the cabbage and added some chopped baby carrots (since I didn’t use the slaw mix and I love carrots 😋). I also added the suggested chopped celery for extra flavor. Can’t get enough, so I double the recipe!!
Summer Peterson
0Made this soup yesterday. Started it in the crockpot but finished it on the stove. Wasn’t sure about this soup… I had to tweak it and tweak it, but it finally came together in a most delicious blend! I only used more of the ingredients you called for so I didn’t change the recipe. It’s a good one… Just needs a tad of tweaking!
Brenda
0Easy to make. I like my soup a little thicker so only used 4 cups of beef broth. I did add a little beef concentrate and also a little Maggi flavouring. Delicious! Another family favourite.
Pam
0Great recipe. I used a whole small head of cabbage – it was in the fridge. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, just because that is the way we go. Will make again. I love a good soup.
Lynn St Amour
0I made this soup exactly, i made it as the recipes says and we LOVED it. My husband said “Honey you are such a good cook” lol I said I just followed wholesomeyum recipe lol. The flavor is awesome and we will definitely have this again!
Ericha nix
0I made the cabbage soup. It was pretty fast to make and the instructions were easy to follow. My husband and I really enjoyed it and thought it was quite tasty! Thank you!!
Renee Williams
0I tried this soup recipe with 1/2 chicken broth & 1/2 beef broth, as I ran out of chicken broth & I did not use bay leaves. I could taste the Italian seasoning but found the soup on the bland side. Using the crock pot, the soup was steamy hot & is perfect for the cold day to warm yourself up. Next time, I’ll try some of the variations mentioned. It is very filling & I did go for seconds.
Would some shredded cheese on top taste good?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Renee, I have never put cheese on cabbage soup.
Luis Mathews
0This recipe was delicious and fun to try! I had to go to the super market to get some ingredients I was missing otherwise I would have done this recipe sooner. I used a pressure cooker and added potatoes as was suggested and it turned out so good! Now that I am confident in how it turned out I can make some for the rest of the family! Thank you for this recipe!
angie guinn
0I wasn’t sure how this was going to be, but I will be making it again! My husband has tongue cancer and can’t eat anything but soft foods. He was able to eat this and loved it and so did I. I am going to try freezing the left overs so that I don’t waste any. But we ate on that for 3 days and it is delicious!
Theresa Deacon
0This was soo good! I did it in the slow cooker and I had a case of diced tomatoes with green chilies so I used two 10 ounce cans instead of regular diced tomatoes. Gave it quite a kick but hit the spot after a winter walk in Michigan. Also sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and fresh grated parm before serving. Definitely a keeper❤️
Sandy
0I will make this often. SO yummy and easy to make. Sandy
Sharon Tamburello
0This is so good. I fixed it today in my crockpot. I used a combination of homemade chicken bone broth and also a container of beef stock; I also used half of a head of cabbage. I cooked it on low for 5 1/2 hrs. I used very lean 93% ground beef but I would still make sure that the meat is drained before adding. This was great with some homemade peasant bread.
Linda
0I made a pot of this soup yesterday. Oh My Gosh! The whole house had a wonderful aroma as the soup simmered on the stove. Had a bowl of it for lunch today. It did not disappoint my expectations. It is a really great soup! I have packaged up the rest of it for the freezer. I will be enjoying it many times more going forward on my Keto Journey! Thank you Maya for another great recipe! 🙂
Barbara
0I’ve had other cabbage soups, but this one was very tasty and was easy to make. I made it last night using my insta pot. It was great without any substitutions. I did add the cayenne pepper. Ate 3 bowls. Yummy!!!😋😋😋
Jennifer Burris
0I was a little hesitant to try this recipe because my husband and I are not big fans of cabbage, but we are trying to get more variety in our diet so we decided to go ahead and try it. It turned out to be pretty good. My husband does not like onions, but he didn’t have a problem with this recipe. I only rated it 4 stars because I save 5 stars for recipes that I love enough to get a craving for (like the cauliflower baked ziti). This soup probably isn’t something I would crave, but it is tasty and it’s a keeper. We’ll be adding it into our rotation. I also like that it can be frozen for make-ahead dinners.
James
0Just had a bowl of the cabbage soup I prepared in the crockpot after getting it from the Wholesome Yum web site. I love cabbage so this was exciting to put together. It’s definitely going in my favorite book to fix on a regular basis.
Beth M
0I decided, on this winter day, to make this soup. It was FANTASTIC!!! All of the flavors meld together so nicely and everyone in the house loved it. Thanks again for a recipe to keep!!
Yvonne Wilkins
0Made this cabbage soup. Used sliced italian sausage instead of ground beef. Have made it with ground beef in the past and prefer the sausage. Made enough for the neighbors to have some and they loved it too. Did not tell them it was a Keto recipie! So quick and easy to make with the package of pre shredded cabbage!
Crystal Johnroe
0I made this recipe yesterday. It was delicious! I have made many cabbage soup recipes over the years but nothing compares to this.
Chrisann
0I always have cabbage on hand…so delish I make brown butter cabbage frequently. This is such a great tasting soup! Just made a little tweak and left out the tomatoes (didn’t have any) and used chicken bone broth (don’t like beef bone broth). Thank you!
Cheryl Stephen
0I found the soup easy to make. I made mine using a instant pot. I did a taste test and found the spices nicely blended. My husband had me add a little bit more salt. I will be freezing this to have on a later date. I like have soups ready to have on busy days.
I give this soup a thumbs up.
Breanne
0We made this recipe today! My five children and I are vegan so I put an alternative-meat sausage in mine with the potatoes, cabbage, and onions…. though frankly, we just love the cabbage, onions, and potatoes as a soup by themselves with all of the herbs and vegetable broth. So yummy, lightweight and warming on a chilly day! So much so, I don’t even have leftovers… 🙂
Mary Lilly
0Made it for a second time since we loved the first one so much. Again made it with spicy Italian sausage and italian spices. It has become our new favorite especially on these cold days here.
EstherA
0I love cabbage soups, or cabbage in any soup! Because I’m alone I cut the recipe in half and of course made my changes! Beans in place of hamburger, about 1/3 cup tomato sauce from the freezer and chopped regular cabbage. In the past, I used bay leaves quite often, but for some reason I’d forgotten about them and was glad of the reminder. I guess it should be called Bean and Cabbage soup now!
Lori Grajek
0The cabbage soup smelled and tasted yummy! My only mistake was using low sodium broth so hubby thought it was bland. When we had it the next day I added fresh garlic and more salt plus the flavors had blended. Really good! Husband liked it second time. It was easy to make and quick using coleslaw bag. I’ll be making this again!
Katy Smith
0I make deconstructed egg roll with out wrappers monthly and this is similar with more of an Italian take. I added some garlic and Italian seasoning and it really added the zing my family wanted. Great fast make and forget till dinner meal for families on the go!!!
Tatyana
0Looks simple enough. Going to try this soon!
Fran adkins
0Being polish and German we ate cabbage soup alot…only we also used sauerkraut and never any tomato paste..we also used pork not beef. I have to give this one a C- sorry
Denise
0This soup is delicious! Super easy to make, came together in a snap, which was super for a weeknight meal! Used the multi-cooker, so was a one pot wonder…sautéed the onions and brown the beef, then chg setting to slow cooker amd toss everything else in. Two hours later, dinner was ready!
Reminded me of deconstructed cabbage rolls. Yum!!
Kit Sloan
0I have made a similar soup, but came across yours! Using coleslaw mix and different seasonings were a game changer!!! Delicious!!! I’m sure it is now a favorite for us! Thank you!
Shari Comeaux
0I had left over beef and ground pork and cabbage after making cabbage rolls. My family rolled their eyes and expressed doubt about the proposition of my making cabbage soup. They enjoyed the soup as much as the cabbage rolls and came back for seconds.
Amy Siefker
0I love soup and finding a keto soup recipe has been a challenge. I decided to try this soup despite the fact I don’t love cabbage. I doubled the meat using half hamburger and half Italian sausage, added 2 additional cups of beef bone broth and sauted some garlic with the onion. This turned out to be a great soup with plenty of protein fitting perfectly into my keto(ish) diet!
Lisa
0I made this tonight using the instant pot method. I used hot Italian sausage & added some celery, zucchini & cumin. We thought it was delicious & a very versatile recipe! Will make again!
Cindy
0I have been wanting to make soup and this recipe was easy and delicious. Added some celery and green beans as well. Perfect meal on a cold winter night. Will be making this regularly! Love it!!
Estee Poleson
0Made this today. I cannot eat beef, so I subsituted fresh crab meat. It was so easy to make and tasted great. I will definitely make it again. I used chicken broth in place of beef. I cooked it in the crackpot. I enjoy all of Mayas recipes, just a few ingredients and meals tastes great.
Bonnie Frick
0I forget when you first posted this recipe but it is a favorite. I make it about once a week in the instant pot. I have a small instant pot so I use a small coleslaw bag an one box of broth so it fits. Other than that I follow the recipe. It is so good my husband wishes it was always in the fridge ready to heat up.
Nancy
0My husband is not such a cabbage fan. I made this and served it on a cold winter day. He could hardly stop eating. He had two large bowls and I promised I would serve it again the next day. Maybe I can get him to eat other cabbage dishes now! Thanks for all the good ideas.
Tami Vollenweider
0I have made this before and was very surprised how good it tasted! I am not a fan of cabbage but will all of the ingredients added together it had a great taste!!!
Mary
0Very similar to the vegetable soup I’ve been making for years. Must give it a try with the hamburger.
Jenny
0Super yummy. Made on stove top, simmered covered for 45 mins. Added beef bouillon cube and parmesan rind. Stored in extra spinach prior to serving and topped with grated parm. Delicious.
Sue Ulintz
0Delicious! I made it in the pressure cooker today and the house smells amazing 😍 Side note – I don’t eat nightshades, so I omitted the tomatoes. I added more broth and for additional flavor added a tsp of garlic powder, half tsp of allspice, and a quarter tsp of nutmeg.
This is a keeper! Thanks Maya!
Laurie Poli
0I’m making this for dinner tonight. Looks delicious!
Melanie
0I just made this cabbage soup and absolutely loved it! I used my pressure cooker as it is my favorite kitchen appliance to use! The cabbage came out soft not mushy I also used grass-fed beef. The only thing I would change in this recipe is salt, I used what was listed but had to add a bit more.
I’m on the news letter email list for when I was dieting with keto. I had no idea that Maya had other recipes besides keto until now! I love your recipes Maya!
Sarah DeLong
0My family doesn’t typically eat cabbage or ground beef, but with the rising costs of groceries, I thought I’d give this recipe a try. It’s very filling and you’ll have enough for days. And I enjoyed the leftovers the next day even more than the first night. This recipe was very easy to make; the hardest part was sautéing the meat and onions (which isn’t even difficult at all). And because I made it in the instant pot, dinner was ready before Wheel of Fortune even came on.