Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup (Low Carb)
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 pound chopped green cabbage (about 5 cups)
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1 cup riced cauliflower
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a 6 quart pot or dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef, cooking for a few minutes until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Add onions and carrots. Cook for a few minutes to soften, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes (including the liquid in the can), cabbage, beef stock, cauliflower, oregano, thyme, and salt. Stir everything together.
- Increase heat to bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and decrease heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
- Uncover and stir. Top with parsley and serve while hot.
NUTRITION
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 160 | |
| Total Fat 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 14% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium 1080mg | 45% |
| Potassium 110mg | 3% |
| Total Carb 8g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
| Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 13g |
I love stuffed cabbage rolls, but let’s admit it — they are a pain to make. It usually involves cooking cabbage leaves first, so you either need to boil a whole cabbage or cut individual leaves off and boil them individually. After that debacle is over, you need to stir together a beef-tomato mixture, stuff it into the cabbage leaves, and roll them up. And we’re not done yet — the last step is to bake everything, which can take a whopping 2-3 hours until the cabbage is finally tender enough to eat.
That’s where the unstuffed cabbage roll soup comes in. First of all, it’s a one-pot deal. Second, it’s super simple. Just a quick sauteing of beef and veggies, then everything gets dumped into the pot and simmered for about 30 minutes or until tender. Easy peasy.
I initially made this soup in the pressure cooker (see Instant Pot Cabbage Soup) and now I’ve converted it to a stovetop version so that everyone can enjoy this comfort food. I will admit though, I still prefer the Instant Pot version — just can’t beat the pressure cooker when it comes to making everything super tender!
Is this a low carb cabbage soup?
Absolutely! You can easily enjoy this soup on a low carb or keto diet, as each serving is only 6g of net carbs.
The most carb-dense ingredients are the tomatoes, onions, and carrots, so I keep them to a minimum without sacrificing flavor. You can use fewer tomatoes or skip the onions entirely for an even lower carb meal.
I add low carb vegetables like riced cauliflower for texture and variety, and you can easily use something else or add veggies like diced celery.
For another low carb soup, check out this creamy broccoli cheddar soup.
Two quick tips on adjusting this soup to your preferences:
- Don’t like ground beef? You can substitute it with ground turkey instead. It’ll be delicious either way.
- This soup comes out very thick and hearty with vegetables. If you prefer a less chunky or soupier consistency, add more beef broth or water after cooking, until it reaches your desired thickness.
Made this tonight and it was very delicious. I used zucchini in place of the carrots to reduce the carbs and used ground sausage in place of the beef. I will make this again.
Like others I made some changes – but mine were based off how my sister makes this soup – it is just that her version has WAY too many carbs. Instead of the onion/carrot I used 1c of frozen peppers & onions – my sister uses at least a bag. I bumped up the meat to 1.5 pounds as I need more protein – I also used 80/20 because that is what I had. I also added in about a tablespoon on Worcestershire Sauce. After it was cooked I added in more salt and pepper to taste – unfortunately I didn’t measure it out. I did use frozen riced cauliflower – that with the other frozen veggies meant I didn’t need to add anymore liquid to cover the extra meat. As a note – 1 pound of cabbage was about 1/2 the cabbage I bought after coring it. I’ll probably make this again next week if the cabbage stays fresh. After my changes: a serving, ~2 cups, per the calorie tracker I use was 282 calories (6g net carbs, 16g fat, 25g protein).
I made this last night and added all but two the suggestions. We liked it, but it seemed to need something else for flavor. My husband added chili paste to his and I salt. Thank you for posting as well as all the helpful hints from others.
How well does this freeze? Can this be meal prepped for the week for lunches?
Yes, cabbage soup tends to freeze well. Store the soup in individual portions, cover, and freeze — great for thawing and reheating for quick lunches during the week.
Made this yesterday in the crock pot. Let it meld over night and today for lunch it was awesome! The broth and all the veggies so delicious. I added more veggies that I had and wanted to get rid of..will definitely make it again soon. Perfect for a cold day here in Nevada!
Made this for a party and was a huge success. I doubled the recipe and modified it by adding 8 cloves of garlic, 2 stalks of finely chopped celery and 2 tsp of caraway seeds. Served it with a dollop of sour cream. Delicious! Will definitely make it again
Great recipe! Love all the flavors. I did add 1 t. caraway seed.
Will make many times again. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you.
Thank you for posting this! I was wondering how to make it on the stove top ever since you posted the pressure cooker version last week 🙂
Great recipe! We prefer a little more spice so I used 1 can (14.5 oz) and 1 can of Habanero Rotel… very tasty indeed!