Slow Cooker Cabbage and Beef Soup Recipe

This slow cooker cabbage and beef soup recipe makes 6–8 generous servings of tender cabbage, lean ground beef, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and savory broth. Brown the beef first, add everything to a 6-quart slow cooker, and cook it on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours until the vegetables are wonderfully tender.

Every spoonful is hearty, comforting, and full of homestyle flavor. The tomato-rich broth has a gentle Italian seasoning note, while Worcestershire sauce adds savory depth; optional white rice makes the soup even more filling and gives it a cozy cabbage-roll character.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This crockpot cabbage and beef soup is the kind of meal that makes a busy day feel easier. After a short browning step, the slow cooker takes care of the long cooking time while the cabbage, vegetables, and beef mingle in a savory tomato broth.

The soup is hearty without being complicated, and the ingredients are familiar, affordable, and easy to find. It is also flexible: leave out the rice for a lighter bowl served with bread, or add it for a thicker soup with a comforting cabbage-roll flavor.

If cozy slow cooker meals are regular favorites in your kitchen, you may also enjoy this creamy turkey soup with cream cheese for another warming dinner idea.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredient list creates a balanced soup with sweet vegetables, rich beef flavor, bright tomatoes, and a deeply savory broth. Use a small green cabbage weighing about 1½–2 pounds, and chop it into bite-size pieces so it is easy to spoon up.

• Ground beef: One pound of lean ground beef keeps the soup satisfying while limiting excess grease. Ground chuck can be used when you prefer a richer broth, but it may release more fat.
• Vegetables: Yellow onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and cabbage provide sweetness, color, texture, and plenty of substance.
• Tomatoes: Undrained diced tomatoes and tomato sauce form the soup’s full-bodied tomato base.
• Broth and seasoning: Beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf bring everything together.
• Optional rice: Half a cup of uncooked long-grain white rice adds a cabbage-roll-style quality. It also thickens the soup as it cooks, so plan on another ½–1 cup beef broth if the pot becomes very thick.

How to Make It Step-by-Step

Step 1: Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Continue for about 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains, then drain the excess fat carefully.

Step 2: Transfer the cooked beef to a 6-quart slow cooker and add the diced onion, minced garlic, chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, and celery. Tuck the cabbage toward the bottom or sides of the cooker so it remains as close to the broth as possible.

Step 3: Pour in the undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and four cups of beef broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and bay leaf, then stir gently to distribute the seasonings.

Step 4: Add the uncooked rice with the other ingredients if you want a thicker, more filling soup. Since rice absorbs liquid, add another ½–1 cup beef broth if the mixture already appears very thick before cooking.

Step 5: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. The soup is ready when the cabbage, carrots, and celery are tender and the flavors have had time to blend.

Step 6: Remove the bay leaf and taste the broth before serving. Adjust the salt and pepper to your preference, then ladle the soup into warm bowls.

Chef Tips for the Best Crockpot Soup

Browning the beef is worth the extra 8–10 minutes. A slow cooker is excellent for gently cooking ingredients, but it does not brown meat effectively, so starting the beef in a skillet gives the soup a more developed flavor and helps prevent a greasy surface.

Do not skip draining the skillet if your beef releases a noticeable amount of fat. Lean ground beef generally produces less grease, while ground chuck gives a richer result but may need more careful draining.

Chop the cabbage into pieces that are large enough to hold their shape during the long cooking time. Very small pieces may soften too much, while evenly sized bite-size pieces cook at a similar rate.

Keep the lid closed during cooking whenever possible. Each time the lid is lifted, heat escapes and the cooking process can slow down, especially when using the LOW setting.

Rice, Variations, and Serving Ideas

The rice is completely optional. Many cabbage and beef soup versions leave it out and serve the soup with crusty bread, which is an excellent choice when you want a clearer broth and firmer vegetable texture.

For a cabbage-roll-inspired bowl, add ½–1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice and 1–2 teaspoons paprika. The rice makes the soup more substantial, while paprika adds gentle warmth and a familiar stuffed-cabbage note.

You can also replace the tomato sauce with an additional 14.5-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. This creates a slightly more tomato-forward soup while keeping the same cozy profile.

Serve each bowl with fresh parsley, a little extra black pepper, or a small splash of Worcestershire sauce if desired. A slice of toasted bread is especially useful for soaking up the rich tomato-beef broth, while a simple green salad keeps the meal fresh.

For a creamy comfort-food night, pair this soup with our slow cooker macaroni and cheese as a family-style side.

Storage and Reheating

Let leftover soup cool appropriately, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate it for easy lunches and dinners. Because cabbage and rice continue absorbing broth as they sit, the leftovers may be thicker the next day.

When reheating, add a splash of beef broth before warming the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir occasionally and heat until hot throughout, adding more broth if needed to restore the consistency you like.

If you enjoy keeping hearty soups ready for the week, our slow cooker bean soup is another practical make-ahead option with plenty of comforting flavor.

Slow Cooker Cabbage and Beef Soup

A hearty crockpot soup made with ground beef, cabbage, vegetables, tomatoes, and beef broth. Add optional rice for a comforting cabbage-roll-inspired variation.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Total Time 6 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 1 pound Lean ground beef
• 1 medium Yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 small, about 1½-2 pounds Green cabbage, cored and chopped
• 3 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 stalks Celery, sliced
• 1 14.5-ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 8-ounce can Tomato sauce
• 4 cups Beef broth

Seasonings

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon, or to taste Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 leaf Bay leaf

Optional

• ½ cup Uncooked long-grain white rice

Method

 

Step-by-Step

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains. Drain excess fat.
2. Add the browned beef, onion, garlic, cabbage, carrots, and celery to a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the cabbage toward the bottom or sides so it stays as submerged in the broth as possible.
3. Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Add the uncooked rice now if using it.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the cabbage and vegetables are tender. If the soup looks very thick with rice, add another ½–1 cup beef broth.
5. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.

Notes

Brown and drain the beef before slow cooking to improve flavor and prevent a greasy broth. The rice is optional and absorbs liquid, so add extra broth if needed. Add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers because cabbage and rice continue absorbing liquid.

Final Thoughts

This slow cooker cabbage and beef soup delivers everything a comforting crockpot dinner should: tender vegetables, satisfying beef, a rich tomato broth, and very little hands-on work. Brown the beef, load the slow cooker, choose LOW or HIGH, and let time create a flavorful meal for 6–8 servings.

Make it without rice for a brothy soup served with bread, or add rice and paprika when you want those classic cabbage-roll flavors. However you prepare it, be sure to remove the bay leaf, taste for seasoning, and add broth when reheating leftovers for the best texture.