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Optional (plan-ahead): If you’re shopping for the week, I put this into a 4-Week Meal Plan + Grocery Lists so dinner’s already decided before your day gets busy.
cabbage soup recipe with hamburger
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: General
Description
This comforting hamburger cabbage soup is a hearty, wholesome meal perfect for busy weeknights, offering a complete and satisfying dish for the whole family. It features a savory broth with lean ground beef, tender cabbage, and a flavorful blend of vegetables and spices, finished with a tangy pickled red onion relish and creamy dill creme fraiche.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 lb quality ground beef (lean grass-fed option recommended)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 medium stalks celery, sliced or diced (or 0.5 teaspoon celery seed)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium recommended)
- 1 medium green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 medium red onion, very finely diced (for relish)
- 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar (for relish)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for relish)
- 0.5 cup creme fraiche (for swirl, or full-fat Greek yogurt)
- 0.25 cup, packed, fresh dill, finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for garnish
Optional (plan-ahead): If you’re shopping for the week, I put this into a 4-Week Meal Plan + Grocery Lists so dinner’s already decided before your day gets busy.
Instructions
- Prepare Pickled Red Onion Relish: In a small, non-reactive bowl, combine the finely diced red onion, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Stir until well combined and sugar dissolves. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you make the soup.
- Brown Hamburger: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot, then set the beef aside.
- Saute Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced yellow onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Saute for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Bloom Spices: Stir in the smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to release their aromatic oils.
- Combine and Simmer: Return the browned ground beef to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and vegetable broth. Stir everything well. Add the shredded green cabbage; it will look very full but will cook down quickly. Stir gently to incorporate as much cabbage as possible into the liquid. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the cabbage is very tender and flavors have melded. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Prepare Dill Creme Fraiche: While the soup simmers, in a small bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, finely chopped fresh dill, 0.25 teaspoon salt, and 0.125 teaspoon black pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Spoon a generous dollop of the pickled red onion relish slightly off-center on top. Swirl or drizzle the dill creme fraiche across the soup’s surface. Finish with a fresh dill sprig beside the relish for garnish.
Notes
For a healthier soup, consider organic ingredients, grass-fed ground beef, and low-sodium broth. This recipe is adaptable for low-carb diets (ensure no added sugar in canned tomatoes), and can be made vegan by swapping ground beef for lentils or a plant-based substitute. For pressure cooking, reduce broth to 5 cups and cook on high for 8-10 minutes. For slow cooking, brown beef and saute aromatics first, then cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (400 g)
- Calories: 260 calories
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg