Cabbage Roll Soup

I partnered with Foodland Ontario to create this recipe. I received monetary compensation for this post, but all opinions expressed are my own.

This quick and easy Cabbage Roll Soup is a meaty and thick winter soup. Reminiscent of my German mother-in-law’s cabbage rolls, it’s a great way to use an abundance of fresh local vegetables and products that are available in winter months.

Good things grow in Ontario

In the depth of winter, you may not realize you can purchase fresh local produce. But there is a wide range of seasonal produce and products at the peak of their freshness available year-round right here in Ontario!

Find out about food produced in Ontario.

Foodland Ontario promotes and supports local farms and businesses which helps you source fresh food that’s close to home. Their recognizable logo is visible across many grocery stores, markets, specialty stores and restaurants making it easy to source local food. Look for it when grocery shopping!

About this soup

My mother-in-law used to make the most incredible cabbage rolls filled with ground beef, smoky bacon, rice and tomatoes. She left behind handwritten recipe notes, but my cabbage rolls never turned out as good as hers.

Since I couldn’t re-create them exactly, I decided to put my own spin on her recipe and turned them into a soup. The result was a meaty, subtly smoky and delicious winter soup with the authentic flavours of Oma’s cabbage rolls, but with only half the work and time! It’s the perfect cold-weather soup packed with seasonal local and healthy ingredients.

Ontario food is good for you and good for Ontario. It’s safe, fresh and nutritious and the positive impact it has on my community is important to me. It preserves green space, benefits the local economy, and is the best choice for the environment.

Foodland Ontario makes it easy to source seasonal ingredients for many recipes even in winter. To make seasonal meal planning easy, find out when Ontario fruits and vegetables are in season.

Ingredients in this soup

• Ontario VG Meats Sliced Bacon
• Ontario VG Meats Ground Beef
• Ontario garlic
• Ontario onions
• Ontario Gwillimdale Farms Carrots
• Ontario celery
• Ontario green cabbage
• Ontario Aylmer Diced Tomatoes
• Beef broth
• Rice
• Seasonings

The superstar is cabbage!

Cabbage is an underrated vegetable. It’s a cruciferous vegetable with vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. It’s a versatile vegetable to cook with that can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked, plus it’s inexpensive.

Local cabbage is grown, harvested and stored in cold facilities in Ontario. This means we can buy fresh cabbage pretty much all year round.

Tips for making cabbage roll soup

• Source as many local Ontario ingredients as possible.
• Have all the ingredients prepared before starting the cooking process.
• To “wake up” the caraway seeds, crush them in a mortar and pestle or between the palms of your hands; you’ll instantly inhale the sweet earthy aroma.
• Use white long grain rice for best results. For a low carb or keto diet, eliminate the rice altogether and the soup will still be delicious and hearty!
• Use fresh dill for the best flavour but if you don’t have it on hand then dried dill will work. If using dried, be sure it’s fresh and hasn’t been stored for more than 3 months.
• Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work well in this soup.
• Make the soup ahead, refrigerate, and reheat when needed; keeps refrigerated up to 5 days. The soup also freezes well for up to 3 months, just thaw and reheat.

 What to serve with cabbage roll soup

Cabbage roll soup is a one-dish meal. To satisfy bigger appetites, you could add toasted rye bread with garlic butter or deli sandwiches made with rye bread.

Give this cabbage roll soup a try! There’s nothing better on a cold day than a thick and hearty soup made with fresh local vegetables and products that are available in Ontario in winter months.

To learn more about local Ontario food, visit Foodland Ontario. You can also follow Foodland Ontario on Instagram: @FoodlandOntario, Facebook: Foodland Ontario and Twitter: @FoodlandOnt. Post your local food photos on social media with #LoveONTFood and tag Foodland Ontario.