Cabbage & Ground Beef Soup

The photo appears to show a hearty cabbage and ground-beef soup/stew: tender cabbage, browned minced beef, onion and carrots in a savory broth. The exact recipe from the image cannot be determined, so the recipe below is a close, tested-style version designed to produce the same look and texture. Similar versions commonly use ground beef, cabbage, carrots, onion, tomatoes and beef broth.
M
My Homemade Recipe
+1

Yield
Servings: 6 generous bowls

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 40–50 minutes

Total: about 1 hour

Cuisine: Comfort food / American-style cabbage soup

Method: One pot / Dutch oven

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Main ingredients
Ingredient Amount
Ground beef/minced beef 450 g / 1 lb
Green cabbage 1 small head, about 700–900 g
Yellow/brown onion 1 medium
Carrots 2 medium
Celery 2 stalks
Garlic 3 cloves
Diced tomatoes 1 can, 400 g / 14 oz
Tomato sauce/passata ½ cup / 120 ml
Beef broth/stock 1.2 litres / 5 cups
Olive oil 1 tbsp

Seasonings
1½ tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp chili flakes, optional

1 tsp sugar, optional, if the tomatoes are acidic

Optional
½ cup cooked or uncooked rice

½ cup kidney beans

Fresh parsley

1–2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar at the end

Extra chili for a spicy version
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the vegetables
Remove the tough outer leaves from the cabbage.

Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the hard core and chop into approximately 2–3 cm pieces.

Dice:

onion

carrots

celery

Mince the garlic.

Don’t worry if the cabbage seems like an enormous amount—the volume drops substantially as it cooks.

2. Brown the beef
Place a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the olive oil and ground beef.

Break the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon.

Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned.

For food safety, ground beef should reach 160°F / 71°C internally. A thermometer is more reliable than judging doneness from color.
F
Food Safety and Inspection Service
+1

Important
If your beef is particularly fatty, carefully drain most of the excess fat.

Leave approximately 1 tablespoon behind for flavor.

3. Add onion, carrot and celery
Add:

onion

carrots

celery

Cook for 5–6 minutes.

Stir occasionally.

The vegetables should begin to soften and the onion should become translucent.

4. Add garlic and spices
Add:

garlic

paprika

thyme

oregano

black pepper

chili flakes, if using

Cook for approximately 30–60 seconds.

Don’t let the garlic burn.

5. Add tomatoes
Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce/passata.

Stir thoroughly.

Scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to loosen the browned beef bits.

Those browned bits provide a lot of the soup’s savory flavor.

6. Add cabbage
Add the chopped cabbage.

It may look like far too much cabbage, but that’s normal.

Stir it into the beef mixture.

Cook for about 3–4 minutes, allowing the cabbage to start wilting.

7. Add broth
Pour in:

1.2 litres / 5 cups beef broth.

Add the bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce.

Stir well.

If you want a thinner, more soup-like consistency, add another 1–2 cups water or broth.

8. Simmer
Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

Then reduce the heat to low/medium-low.

Cover partially and simmer for approximately:

25–35 minutes
Stir occasionally.

The cabbage should become tender but shouldn’t completely disintegrate.

For the appearance in your photo, I recommend leaving some cabbage pieces relatively large.

9. Final seasoning
Remove the bay leaf.

Taste.

Adjust with:

salt

black pepper

paprika

chili

Worcestershire sauce

If the tomato flavor tastes too sharp, add ½–1 teaspoon sugar.

For a brighter flavor, add 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar at the very end.

How to Get the Same Look as the Photo
The photograph has fairly large pieces of cabbage rather than finely shredded cabbage.

For that appearance:

Don’t shred the cabbage finely.

Cut it into roughly 2–3 cm chunks.

Also:

Brown the beef well.

Don’t overcook the cabbage.

Keep the broth moderately thick.

Use carrots for the orange color.

Don’t puree anything.

Serve with some beef and cabbage visible on top.

The result should look very close to the bottom-right bowl in your image.

Optional Rice Version
If you want something closer to stuffed-cabbage soup, add:

½ cup uncooked long-grain rice

after adding the broth.

Simmer until the rice is tender, usually around 18–25 minutes, depending on the rice.

You may need an additional 1 cup broth/water, because rice absorbs liquid.

This creates a much thicker and more filling soup.

Pakistani/Desi-Style Variation
If you’d like a slightly more familiar South Asian flavor, use:

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander powder

½–1 tsp red chili powder

½ tsp garam masala

1 green chili, chopped

Fry the cumin briefly after adding the oil, then brown the beef.

Finish with fresh coriander/cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.

Don’t use all the Western herbs and all the Desi spices together—choose one flavor profile so the soup doesn’t become muddled.

Beef Substitutions
You can use:

Lean beef
90/10 ground beef
Best balance of flavor and lower fat.

Extra-lean beef
93/7
Lighter but somewhat less rich.

Chicken
Ground chicken works, although the flavor will be milder.

Turkey
Ground turkey is another lean option.

Vegetarian
Replace beef with:

kidney beans

chickpeas

lentils

mushrooms

plant-based mince

Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.

Approximate Nutrition
For the 6-serving version, using 90/10 ground beef and without rice or beans:

Nutrient Approx. per serving
Calories 270–320 kcal
Protein 24–27 g
Carbohydrates 18–22 g
Fiber 5–6 g
Fat 12–15 g
Saturated fat 4–5 g
Sugar 7–9 g
Sodium 600–900 mg*

*Sodium varies enormously depending on the beef broth, canned tomatoes and added salt. Published versions of cabbage-and-ground-beef soup similarly show substantial variation in calories and sodium depending on ingredients.
M
My Homemade Recipe
+1

To reduce calories
Use 93/7 or leaner beef.

Drain excess fat.

Increase cabbage.

Use low-sodium broth.

Reduce oil.

To reduce carbohydrates
Skip rice, beans and added sugar.

The cabbage-and-beef version is naturally relatively low in carbohydrates; one USDA-data-based keto version, for example, reports about 11.5 g total carbohydrate and 4.2 g fiber per serving.
K
Keto Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I make this without tomatoes?
Yes.

Replace the tomatoes with approximately 5–6 cups beef broth and add:

Frequently Asked Questions
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp paprika

extra black pepper

You’ll get a clearer beef-and-cabbage soup rather than a tomato-based soup.

Q2. Why is my cabbage still crunchy?
It simply needs more cooking.

Continue simmering for another 10–15 minutes.

Large cabbage pieces take longer than finely shredded cabbage.

Q3. Why is my soup watery?
Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes.

This evaporates excess water and concentrates the flavor.

Alternatively, mash a small amount of the cooked vegetables into the broth.

Q4. Why is my soup too thick?
Add hot broth or water, approximately ½ cup at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency.

Q5. Can I make it spicy?
Absolutely.

Add:

chili flakes

fresh green chili

cayenne

hot paprika

a little hot sauce

For a deeper spicy flavor, add ½ tsp smoked paprika as well.

Q6. Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes.

Brown the beef and onion first.

Then transfer everything to the slow cooker.

Cook approximately:

LOW: 6–8 hours

HIGH: 3–4 hours

Add the cabbage during the final portion of cooking if you want it to retain more texture.

Q7. Can I make it in an Instant Pot/pressure cooker?
Yes.

Brown the beef using sauté mode.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Pressure cook for approximately 5 minutes, followed by a natural release for about 10 minutes.

For softer cabbage, you can use 6 minutes.

Q8. Can I add potatoes?
Yes.

Add 2 medium potatoes, cut into approximately 2-cm cubes.

They’ll make the soup considerably more filling.

Q9. Can I add rice?
Yes. Add ½ cup uncooked rice with the broth.

You may need additional liquid.

Q10. Can I freeze it?
Yes.

Cool the soup promptly, portion it into airtight containers and freeze.

If you’ve added rice, the texture may become softer after freezing, so you may prefer to cook fresh rice separately and add it when serving.

Q11. How long does it last in the refrigerator?
For food safety, refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within about 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C.
F
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Q12. Can I prepare it ahead of time?
Definitely.

This is actually an excellent make-ahead meal.

The cabbage, beef and broth flavors blend together as it sits, and the soup can taste even better the following day.

Q13. Can I use red cabbage?
Yes, but the soup will become darker/purplish and the flavor will be slightly different.

For the green/yellow appearance in your photo, use regular green cabbage.

Q14. What should I serve with it?
Good choices include:

crusty bread

garlic bread

dinner rolls

naan

roti

rice

simple green salad

yogurt on the side

fresh parsley/coriander

For a low-carb meal, simply serve the soup on its own.

My Recommended Final Version
For the closest result to your photograph, I’d use:

450 g 90/10 ground beef + 1 small green cabbage + 1 onion + 2 carrots + 2 celery stalks + 3 garlic cloves + 400 g diced tomatoes + 120 ml tomato sauce + 1.2 L beef broth + Worcestershire + paprika + thyme + black pepper.

Brown the beef thoroughly, soften the vegetables, add tomatoes and cabbage, pour in the broth, and simmer 30 minutes until the cabbage is tender.

That gives you the rich beefy broth, visible cabbage pieces, orange carrot pieces and chunky minced beef shown in the image.
M
My Homemade Recipe
+1

Food-safety note: because this contains ground beef, don’t rely on color alone; USDA recommends 160°F / 71°C for ground beef, measured with a food

Author
Recent Posts

Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.