Crockpot Cabbage Soup with Hamburger

4.91 from 10 votes

Crockpot Cabbage Soup with Hamburger

It doesn't get much easier than a healthy crockpot cabbage soup with hamburger, beans, and loads of veggies!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beef cabbage soup, cabbage soup, cabbage soup with hamburger, crock pot cabbage soup, crockpot cabbage soup, slow cooker cabbage soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings cups

Calories 131kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 medium onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
3 cups cut green beans (frozen is fine)
½ head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and excess fat drained (or substitute with an additional can of beans for a vegetarian option)
1 (15.5 ounce) can red kidney beans (about 1 ¾ cup), rinsed and drained (or substitute with a different type of beans)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons curry powder (optional)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth
2 cups water (thin with extra water at the end, as needed, or omit the water completely for a thicker soup)
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, or thyme

Instructions

Place onions, carrots, celery, green beans, cabbage, and garlic at the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with cooked beef and drained, rinsed beans. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, bay leaf, and optional curry powder, if desired.
Pour crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and water into the pot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs.

Notes

Change the seasonings! My grandmother always added chili powder and curry powder to her cabbage soup with hamburger, giving the dish a really unique, delicious flavor. That said, you can feel free to substitute with other flavors, such as an Italian seasoning blend. Try adding fresh herbs to the pot as well! Good options include thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary and chives.
Whether you're using ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage, make sure to brown the meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker. This allows you to drain off the excess fat so that your soup isn't too greasy at the end.
Adjust the amount of water to suit your preference. For a very thick soup (that's more like a stew), omit the water altogether. For a thinner soup, add an extra 1-2 cups at the end.
Fresh herbs or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice add a bright finishing touch to each bowl of soup.
Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half, and freeze any leftovers. As written, the recipe makes a very large pot of soup!
Try ground Italian sausage in the soup rather than ground beef. If using Italian sausage, substitute Italian seasoning for the chili powder and curry.
Just about any vegetables will work in this recipe, so feel free to clean out your fridge or freezer! Diced zucchini or squash, sliced mushrooms, frozen corn or peas, or peeled, diced potatoes would also be good additions.
Give the soup a stronger, richer tomato flavor by adding tomato paste to the pot. You may need to thin the broth with a little bit more water at the end.
Stir in cooked rice or pasta to bulk up the beef and vegetable soup.
For a vegetarian cabbage soup recipe, substitute an extra can of beans for the ground beef, and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Make it spicy with a dash of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes.

Nutrition