High-Protein Cabbage Roll Soup
High-Protein Cabbage Roll Soup
Unrolled cabbage rolls in a tomato-gold broth – beef, cabbage, carrot, 40 minutes
This is stuffed cabbage without the rolling. Ground beef browns, then cabbage, carrot, and a tomato broth simmer until the pot looks like the photo – pale cabbage leaves, orange coins, and beef in a gold stock. No rice. That is how it stays low carb.
About 40 minutes. One Dutch oven. Better on day two.
Why you’ll love this soup
- 28g protein per bowl – dinner that fills you
- Only 8g net carbs – cabbage instead of rice
- About 40 minutes, one pot
- Tomato-gold broth with cabbage and carrot, like the photo
- Tastes like cabbage rolls, no rolling
- Freezes clean
Health notes
- High protein: About 1 1/4 lb beef across 5 bowls.
- Low carb: Cabbage and carrot, no rice or noodles.
- Brothy: Tomato paste tints the stock gold, not creamy.
- Five servings: One 5 to 6 quart pot.
Key element – add cabbage in two stages
If all the cabbage goes in at once, it turns to mush. Half at the start so it sweetens the broth. The rest in the last 10 minutes so you still see pale leaves in the bowl, like the photo.
Ingredients
Pot
- 1 1/4 lb (570g) lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cups beef broth (low sodium)
- 1 cup canned diced tomato, with juice
- 1 bay leaf
Veg
- 5 cups green cabbage, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 1/2 a medium head)
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, to finish
Swaps
- Turkey: Use ground turkey and add 1 tsp oil so it browns.
- Pork mix: Half beef, half pork. Richer broth.
- No tomato chunks: Use 3 Tbsp paste only. Broth stays clearer gold.
- Cauli rice: Stir in 1 cup at the end if you miss the rice texture. Carbs stay low.
Instructions
| 1 | Brown the beef. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add beef and onion. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until browned. Drain extra fat. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper 1 minute. |
| 2 | Build the broth. Pour in broth and diced tomato. Add bay leaf, carrots, and half the cabbage. Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer. |
| 3 | Simmer. Cook 12 to 14 minutes until the carrots start to soften. |
| 4 | Add the rest of the cabbage. Stir in the remaining cabbage. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes more until it is tender but still pale and visible, like the photo. Fish out the bay leaf. |
| 5 | Finish. Stir in parsley and vinegar. Taste for salt. Ladle into 5 bowls. |
Pro tips
- Chop cabbage into 1-inch pieces, not shreds. Shreds vanish in the broth.
- Tomato paste needs a minute in the fat before the broth. That is the gold color.
- A splash of vinegar at the end tastes like a real cabbage roll, not just beef soup.
- If the broth is thin, simmer 5 more minutes uncovered after the last cabbage goes in.
- Day-two bowls are better. The cabbage sweetens overnight.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1/5) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 320 |
| Protein | 28g |
| Net carbohydrates | 8g |
| Total carbohydrates | 12g |
| Fiber | 4g |
| Total fat | 16g |
| Sodium | 640mg |
Estimates with 90/10 beef and low-sodium broth. Leaner beef drops fat and calories.
Variations
Smoky
Add 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 2 slices chopped cooked bacon.
Hungarian
Add 1 tsp sweet paprika extra and a dollop of sour cream in each bowl.
Spicy
Add 1/2 tsp chili flakes with the tomato paste.
Slow cooker
Brown beef first. Cook on low 5 hours. Add the second half of cabbage in the last 30 minutes.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 4 days | Covered; add broth when reheating |
| Freezer | Up to 2 months | Cool fully; cabbage stays decent |
| Best eaten | Day 2 | Broth deepens overnight |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about this soup
1. Protein per serving?
2. Net carbs per serving?
3. When do you add the second half of cabbage?
4. Why skip the rice?
5. What gives the broth its gold color?
