Easy Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup

5 from 48 votes

This Easy Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup tastes just like cabbage rolls, but it is so much easier to make! Very hearty and filling and made with easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients including cabbage, tofu, rice, and canned tomatoes. If you love cabbage rolls, but don't like all the work, this unstuffed cabbage roll soup is for you!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings: 8 (makes about 12 cups/ 2.8L)

Author: Sam Turnbull

Ingredients

For the tofu crumbles:

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 12.3oz/ 350g block extra-firm tofu drained and crumbled

For the soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 lb green cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces (5 cups)
6 cups vegan beefless broth, mushroom broth, or vegetable broth plus more if needed
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (3 ¼ cups)
¾ cup uncooked basmati rice (or similar rice)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 bay leaf
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley roughly chopped, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the tofu crumbles:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Mix the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, olive oil chili powder, garlic powder, and liquid smoke together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture. Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning, or alternatively use a potato masher to smash the tofu into crumbles. (No need to press the tofu first, the excess water will bake out in the oven). Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. Once cooked, set aside until needed.

To make the vegan cabbage roll soup:

In the meantime, in a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have turned translucent and begin to brown.
Stir in the cabbage, 6 cups of broth, crushed tomatoes, rice, brown sugar, and all the spices (smoked paprika, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper). You may need more or less salt depending on how salty the broth you used is. If you like you can cook the soup without salt then add it last so you can add it to taste. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook stirring as needed, for about 25 minutes or until the rice and cabbage are tender.
Lastly, stir in prepared tofu crumbles and cook for 1 more minute to heat through. If your soup is too thick, stir in more broth or water to reach desired consistency. Serve hot with fresh parsley for garnish.

Notes

Oil-free: to make oil-free omit substitute the oil in the tofu crumbles with vegetable broth or aquafaba. Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies and instead do a water or broth sauté.

Make-ahead/ freeze: Cabbage soup tastes even better the next day, so you can prepare it ahead of time, allow it to cool completely then store the soup covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze it in an air-tight container. Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding more broth or water if needed.

Nutrition

Find it online:

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/easy-vegan-cabbage-roll-soup/