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Whenever I ask my family what they feel like having for dinner on a given week, they always say soup. Which is pretty awesome because soups are easy, can use up whatever I have on hand, and it’s easy to fit in lots of protein and veggies. This beef cabbage soup is one of our faves. It’s super comforting, and somehow both hearty and light at the same time. Let me show you how to make cabbage soup with ground beef, soft veggies, and just 15 minutes of prep time. Make it with me!
Why You Need My Beef Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Beefy, veggie packed meal – This isn’t your average soup! It’s loaded with bold, beefy flavor and tender vegetables, striking a balance of hearty and cozy without feeling too heavy. If you like my hamburger soup and classic cabbage soup, you’ll love this combo of both.
- Easy to make, with hands-off cooking – There’s almost no chopping involved! And you can choose from three (hands-off) cooking options: Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop.
- Perfect for meal prep – My hamburger cabbage soup stores beautifully, making it perfect for weekend batch cooking. I love it for light lunches all week or as a cozy dinner with a healthy salad and cauliflower breadsticks.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for beef cabbage soup with hamburger, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Cabbage – That shortcut I talked about? It’s coleslaw mix, so you don’t have to chop the cabbage! But you can easily chop a head of cabbage yourself and throw in some shredded carrots. Use the extras to make my kielbasa and sauerkraut or cabbage salad.
- Ground Beef – I like 85/15 grass-fed beef, which is flavorful without being too greasy, but use whatever you prefer. And while my recipe is for cabbage soup with ground beef, you can easily make it with ground turkey, pork, chicken, or even Italian sausage.
- Onion – White or yellow onions are my go-to, but red onion will work. You can also saute other sturdy veggies with it, like bell peppers or celery.
- Beef Broth – I love using homemade bone broth, but store-bought beef broth works great too. You can even swap in chicken or veggie broth if needed.
- Diced Tomatoes – I use this kind. You can also use fire-roasted for a smoky flavor.
- Herbs & Spices – Italian seasoning, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Want heat? Add a pinch of cayenne.
- Avocado Oil – For sauteing. Olive oil works, too.
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How To Make Cabbage Soup With Ground Beef
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute the onions. Cook them in olive oil until they’re nice and soft. You can do this right in the Instant Pot if you’re using that method, in a pan for the Crock Pot method, or a Dutch oven or large pot if you’re cooking the entire soup on the stove.
- Brown the beef. Turn up the heat, add the ground beef, and cook it until it’s browned and crumbly.
- Add everything else. Transfer the beef and onions to the slow cooker if that’s how you’re cooking, or leave in the pot otherwise. Add the cabbage, tomatoes (with juice), broth, seasonings, and bay leaves.
- Cook it up. Let the beef cabbage soup cook until everything’s tender. A sprinkle of fresh parsley on top is a nice touch, but totally optional!
My Recipe Tips & Variations
- Do you really have to brown the beef and onions? Yes, I highly recommend it, even if you’re using the slow cooker or pressure cooker. It improves the flavor so much, and doesn’t take very long.
- Prefer a softer texture in your beef? A reader told me she cooked it with a little water and it came out softer. Give it a try if you like!
- Want a thicker beef cabbage soup? Add more cabbage or reduce the amount of broth a bit. It’ll feel more like a stew and super cozy for colder days.
- Want it more hearty? Toss in some drained cannellini or kidney beans, or diced potatoes.
- Flavor doesn’t seem quite right? Oftentimes, if something is missing, I find that something is salt! Add a little more and see if this helps. But if it’s too salty, a tablespoon of lemon juice can fix it. I have more tips on adjusting flavor in my vegetable soup recipe — the same applies here.
More Ground Beef Soup Recipes
If you like this hamburger cabbage soup, try one of my other healthy soup recipes with ground beef next:
Beef Cabbage Soup
By
This beef cabbage soup is loaded with hamburger and veggies in a cozy broth. Make it on the stove, in the Crock Pot, or in the Instant Pot!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Stovetop Instructions:
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Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown.
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Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until the beef is cooked through.
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Add the cabbage or coleslaw mix, diced tomatoes, bone broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Season with more salt and/or pepper to taste.
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Increase the heat and bring the beef cabbage soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes, until the flavors develop to your liking.
Crock Pot Instructions:
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Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown.
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Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until the beef is cooked through.
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Transfer the beef and onion mixture to a Crock Pot. Add the cabbage or coleslaw mix, diced tomatoes, bone broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and bay leaves. 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 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown.
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Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Increase the saute temperature to "High". Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until the beef is cooked through.
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Turn off heat. Add the cabbage or coleslaw mix, diced tomatoes, bone broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and bay leaves. 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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you adjust the flavor and thickness of your soup, or even make it more hearty.
- Store: Cool first, then pour into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: Shred the cabbage (or grab a pre-shredded mix) and cook the onions and beef ahead. Or make the whole soup—it stores great, so I often make a double batch!
- Freeze: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Heat on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the microwave.
- Note on serving size: 1 cup is a nice amount for a starter before your meal. My family sometimes has this as a light meal by itself and we just triple the serving size!
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Beef Cabbage Soup
362 Comments
Jennifer
0This was the most delicious soup I have ever tasted! I must say I do not really like cabbage but this was so delicious. I made it with kangaroo mince instead.
CHARLENE
0This soup was fabulous! Much better then usual dieter’s cabbage soup. Clean tasting w only cabbage and a few slices of carrot from the coleslaw mix, which was a better idea then my usual shredding the cabbage myself.
Deanie
0I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve always loved cabbage and hamburger together and this soup really hits the spot! Thanks so much!
JoAnn
0Delicious. Allergic to tomatoes so substituted salt-free canned cut green beans with liquid. Substituted hot sauce for the sea salt. Used directions for slow-cooker. Tastes great the same day and even better after sitting in the frig overnight as the seasonings deepen the flavor. Definitely a keeper!
Jody
0This came together quickly in my (new at Christmas) instant pot. Subbed in spicy Italian sausage for the meat and it was quite tasty. Good thing it will freeze as this made quite a large pot of soup for just two of us!
Robert Warren
0At this time of year, when the skies are gray and the temperatures are cold, there is nothing better like some soul-comforting warm soup. This recipe will satisfy this need! Like all WholesomeYum recipes, you will be able to make this recipe in a short amount of time with just a few ingredients, all of which are easy to obtain. For example, she suggests that you use a pre-made coleslaw mix for the cabbage to make things easier, which is a genius idea (though I really don’t mind chopping up a head of cabbage, her suggestion will save time). The recipe is for a crockpot or InstaPot, but honestly I preferred just making it in a dutch oven on the stove, it’s easy to do and I love to keep a pot of soup simmering on the stove for easy access throughout the day. One of the best things about this soup is that it is super-healthy for you (cabbage is loaded with Vitamin C!) and won’t wreck your diet, while the meat in the soup will satisfy your hunger. For a little variety and spice, add some chili powder to turn this into a hearty chili soup (bonus idea: taco seasoning!), and while you’re at it, add some turmeric, a spice that is also a superfood. Check out all of Maya’s soup recipes, they are all easy to make, use simple ingredients, and are good for you. I recently made the Florentine Chicken soup recently and was amazed at not only how easy it was to make, but how much it tasted like something you would get at a fancy Italian restaurant. Given how much soup costs at a restaurant, and how many bad ingredients are in canned soup, you can’t go wrong with these recipes.
maxine
0great soup! Loved it – tasty and comforting.
Kris
0Pretty good and very easy to make. I’m not a fan of ground beef in soup so I use stew meat instead. Added some pepper flakes to add a little kick. Great suggestion to speed up the prep work by buying shredded cabbage.
Kayla
0Really yummy and comforting recipe! Instead of using the coleslaw mix I just chopped my own cabbage, but may try the coleslaw mix next time. I also sprinkled a bit of cheese on top at the end! Even my kids liked this soup! Easy weekday meal!!
Debbie
0I loved this quick and easy cabbage soup recipe. I made mine on the stove top and added cauliflower and green peppers. I doubled the recipe so I that I had extra to freeze for those cold winter nights when soup sounds so good.
Jennifer Bailey
0This was a hit! The only change I made was that I added a 1/2 lb. Pork sausage with the beef at hubby’s request. Since I do all the cooking, my whole family gets keto meals. Some things have been hit-or-miss with the kids especially. But after making egg roll in a bowl, I realized that all of them like cabbage!! This was a perfect quick winter meal for the whole family and I will definitely make it again!
Dorina
0I made this recipe, is very good and easy to make.
Lynne Kinsey
0This is very similar to a recipe I have made before called Unstuffed Cabbage. It had all the ingredients and flavor of Stuffed Cabbage, but with considerably less work. It smells so good while cooking and while being served, and is eagerly anticipated by everyone waiting to eat it. We will certain make this over and over again and I will share the recipe with family and friends that live both near and far away. Thank you for printing it here!
Texas GG
0I made it with a few variations. It was my first food in my new Instant Pot I kept the vegetables in larger pieces, subbed green bell peppers for carrots, and omitted the meat. Because I didn’t have any and had to have a quick meal. It was a roaring success with my hungry gang. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I had forgotten how good cabbage soup really is!!
Mary
0Love this soup made it with spicy Italian sausage and added some Italian spices.
Keven Sterner
0This soup is delicious and fills you up !! I highly recommend it ! And it’s so easy to make !
Felecia
0Love the soup! Easy to make, just left out the ground beef as I don’t like it, but still awesome. Will be making this again.
One of my favorites!
0This is a great soup recipe! It can have many variations. Sometimes I use ground Italian pork sausage and vegetable broth. Plus I add some of my colagen powder to give protein/colagen component missing in the vegetable broth. Also, I like using Savoy cabbage the best.
Kevin
0This actually looks pretty good. I’ll make it this weekend.
emma reeves
0OMGoodness..winner, winner, I used ground pork as I don’t eat beef. It was absolutely incredible.
I will be making several versions using ground chicken and sausage. I can’t say enough good things. SPOT ON!!!