Looking for a cozy, healthy meal? Try this cabbage meatball soup—full of fresh vegetables, flavorful broth, and tender chicken meatballs, a quick, hearty twist on classic Slavic Shchi.
Cabbage Meatball Soup is a hearty, wholesome dish that combines tender chicken meatballs with a rich, flavorful broth. A twist on traditional Shchi, Russian Cabbage Soup, this soup is filled with fresh vegetables like cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers, making it a nutrient-packed meal that’s both satisfying and delicious. Perfect for those cold, cozy nights or busy weeknights when you need something quick and comforting, this soup delivers on flavor, freshness, and filling goodness—without the long cooking time.
Not only is this soup healthy, but it’s also beautiful to look at, with its vibrant colors and hearty textures. And those chicken meatballs? They’re incredibly tender and full of flavor, adding the perfect touch of protein to make the soup extra satisfying. If you love meatball soup, try my Russian Chicken Meatball Soup or Tomato Meatball Soup.
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What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: A perfect solution for busy weeknights, this soup comes together in no time with minimal prep work. (You can do a lot of the meal prep ahead of time, so that will help make the process even faster.)
- Packed with Nutrients: Full of fresh vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, and peppers, this soup is as healthy as it is delicious.
- Comforting and Satisfying: Whether you’re craving something light but filling or need to get your veggies in, this soup delivers both.
- A Twist on Tradition: A modern take on classic Russian Shchi, this soup adds chicken meatballs for a quicker, heartier version of the beloved dish. Try making Shchi in the Instant Pot, as well, which makes it so much faster.
Cabbage Meatball Soup Video
Ingredients:
Cabbage Soup
- Aromatic vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic—these form the backbone of the soup and give it that irresistible savory base.
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are the best, they taste so fresh and light and are also much less acidic than canned tomatoes.
- Peppers: A sweet bell pepper works perfectly, but feel free to experiment with other mild, sweet varieties of peppers.
- Potatoes: Russet or gold potatoes work great in this soup, though most potato varieties will do the job just fine. They’ll absorb all the flavors and make the soup even more filling.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is the star here, giving the soup its signature texture and heartiness.
Chicken Meatballs
Ground chicken: It's my favorite protein for making meatballs. The chicken is so much more tender and juicy than other ground meat options.
The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Flavor Variations
- Simplify the Veggies: If you’re looking for a simpler version, you can cut down on the number of vegetables. Stick with the basics like onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, and potatoes, and leave out the tomatoes, bell peppers, or other extras. This will give you a comforting, flavorful soup without as much prep work.
- Add Some Heat: If you like a little spice, consider adding spicier peppers like jalapeños in addition to the bell peppers.
- Tomato Variations: If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, you can swap them out with canned tomato products. Tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, or even tomato paste (just use less since it's more concentrated) will work perfectly to add that rich, tangy flavor.
- Meatball Variations: While chicken meatballs are the star here, you can easily swap them out for other ground meats like ground beef, pork, or turkey.
- Broth Options: For even more flavor, consider using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. If you're using the full array of vegetables and homemade meatballs, the soup will naturally develop a rich, flavorful broth on its own. However, if you're using fewer veggies or store-bought meatballs, adding broth will help bring everything together and enhance the flavor. I love to keep homemade chicken broth or homemade vegetable broth in my freezer to make soup prep even easier.
How To Make Cabbage Meatball Soup
Before you get started cooking the soup, prep all the veggies: Dice the onion, cut the carrots into matchsticks, slice the celery, shred the cabbage, dice the tomatoes, mince the garlic, chop the potatoes and shred the cabbage. Don’t forget to save the tomato juice to add to the soup later too.
Step 1: Prepare the chicken meatballs. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat with all the other meatball ingredients. Mix everything together until well combined.
- You can prep the meatball mixture ahead of time, or make it while the vegetables are sautéing or while you’re waiting for the water to come to a boil.
- The meatballs will need to be added to the soup at the very end.
Step 2: Saute the aromatics. Heat butter or oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Step 3: Add the peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Add in the bell peppers, the diced tomatoes with their juice, and the garlic into the pot. Season again with salt and pepper. Add dry herbs and spices too. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
Step 4: Pour in water and bring to a boil. Now it's time for the soup to start cooking! Add the water and bring it to a boil. Taste and season the broth with more salt and pepper as needed. At this stage, you can also toss in a couple of bay leaves for extra flavor.
Step 5: Add the potatoes to the pot and let them cook at a simmer for about 5 minutes. This helps them start softening before the cabbage and meatballs go in. Then, add the cabbage.
Step 6: Time for the meatballs! Right after you add the cabbage to the soup, start assembling the meatballs and add them to the simmering pot.
Once the soup is ready, garnish with freshly chopped herbs
Expert Tips For Making the Meatballs
Making the meatball mixture:
Making meatballs is pretty simple, and you can do it a couple of different ways. The ingredients and the preparation are very typical of making meatballs for other recipes too.
First, for the onion, you have two options:
- Grate the onion: This is the quick and easy way. When you grate the onion on a box grater, it gets super small and blends right into the meat, so you won’t even notice it in the finished meatball (and it cooks through really fast).
- Sauté the onion: If you prefer a sweeter, milder flavor, you can finely mince the onion and sauté it before adding it to the meat mixture. This step will give the onion a bit of caramelization, which adds a lovely richness to the meatballs.
Once your onion is ready, combine it with the ground meat mixture (along with your breadcrumbs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and seasoning).
Shaping the meatballs:
- Use moistened hands to form small meatballs, about the size of a small walnut or roughly ½ to 1 tablespoon each.
(I like to use a small portion scoop to form the meatballs first, then finish them off in my hands to give them a rounder, more compact shape.) Drop the meatballs gently into the simmering soup.
If you like a little extra flavor, you can also toss in some garlic or fresh herbs like parsley or dill into the meatball mixture.
Meal Prep
This soup is wonderful for meal prep. You can prep almost all the vegetables ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the soup.
You can also prep the meatball mixture ahead of time too. This makes the process so much faster.
Meal prepping is a game changer! Watch my free Meal Planning Workshop Video, where I share my best tips to save time in the kitchen.
Serving Cabbage Meatball Soup
Cabbage soup, just like most other Shchi (cabbage soups), like Sauerkraut Shchi and Traditional Borscht, are served with sour cream and bread. You can't go wrong with this Easy Homemade Bread. Absolutely delicious!
Recipe FAQs
Shchi is a traditional Russian cabbage soup that has been a staple in Slavic kitchens for centuries. It’s a hearty, nutrient-packed dish that’s beloved for its comforting, filling qualities, especially during the long, cold winters. Made with a base of cabbage and potatoes, Shchi often includes both fresh cabbage and sauerkraut, giving it a wonderful balance of flavors.
Yes, you can! While homemade meatballs add great flavor, using frozen or pre-cooked meatballs will save time. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. Here's a great recipe for Baked Chicken Meatballs.
To make a vegetarian version, simply omit the meatballs. You can add more vegetables or plant-based protein for added texture.
I don't recommend freezing this soup. The cabbage and potatoes don’t freeze well, and their texture can become mushy after freezing. For the best texture, enjoy it fresh or store it in the fridge for up to a few days.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you tried this Cabbage Meatball Soup recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating or a comment below. I love hearing from you!
Cabbage Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 10 - 12 cups water
- 3 potatoes peeled and chopped (about 2 ½ cups)
- ½ cabbage head shredded
- ½ - 1 Tablespoon butter or oil (to saute veggies)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and julienned or grated
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 2-4 garlic cloves minced
- 2-3 tomatoes seeded and chopped (juice reserved)
- 2-3 mini bell peppers or ½ of a large bell pepper, julienned
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken or ground turkey, ground pork, ground beef
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼-1/3 cup milk just enough to cover the breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sour cream
- ½ small onion grated, or finely minced and sauteed until cooked through
- 1 garlic clove optional (grated with the onion or minced)(you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry herbs and spices
To Serve:
- 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs minced (dill, parsley, green onions)
- sour cream to serve with the soup, optional
Instructions
- Prep the veggies: Shred cabbage, chop potatoes, dice onions, slice celery, cut carrots and bell peppers into matchsticks, and dice tomatoes (reserve juice).
- Make meatballs: In a bowl, mix ground meat with meatball ingredients. Form into meatballs. (Can prep ahead or while veggies cook.)
- Cook aromatics: Heat butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté 6-8 minutes until tender.
- Add peppers, tomatoes, and garlic: Stir in bell peppers, tomatoes (with juice), and garlic. Season and cook 5 minutes.
- Add water and bring to a boil: Pour in water, bring to a boil. Season broth to taste and add bay leaves (optional).
- Simmer potatoes: Add potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add cabbage and meatballs: Stir in shredded cabbage and meatballs. Simmer 5-10 minutes until meatballs are cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh herbs (dill, parsley, or green onions). Optional: Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
- Meatball Variations: Feel free to use ground turkey, pork, or beef in place of the ground chicken for a different flavor and texture.
- Adjust Broth and Veggies: For a more brothy soup, add more water. If you prefer a heartier, thicker soup, use more veggies and less water.
- Tomato Substitutes: Fresh tomatoes are the best for the soup, but if you're in a pinch, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or a bit of tomato paste can be used for a rich, tangy flavor. Adjust the amount based on your preference.
- Make-Ahead Tip: You can prep the meatballs and vegetables in advance to save time when you're ready to cook.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
this soup is so similar to the one my mom used to make. Her parents came from Latvia and I guess the recipe was handed down through the family. Can't wait to make a big pot to conquer this cold winter! Thanks for the recipe!
That's awesome, Arlene. Family recipes are the best. They bring such warm memories.
Hi Olga! My 8 year made this soup last night for her school lunches and it turned out delicious :)) I love that it's full of veggies and chicken and is like a whole meal. Healthy and tasty. Thank you!
You have quite an 8 year old - making soup?! That's awesome!
Olga, I love your recipes, especially the Russian ones. Reminds me of my childhood.
We don't mix milk and meat. Is there any way to make the meatballs recipe without milk? And perhaps without the bread? Perhaps breadcrumbs? Milk alternative? Your suggestions would be most appreciated.
Hi Shelly, you can use water to soak the breadcrumbs. I'm afraid the meatballs won't be as tender without the breadcrumbs.
It's very delicious! My family absolutely loves it! I have to retire my recipe. Thank you, Olga. It's so chilly in Tampa Bay Area, so it was perfect comfort food for dinner.
It IS cold, isn't it, Olga? I'm glad to meet a fellow Floridian. We had to bundle up to go out this evening. Warm, comforting soup really hits the spot on days like this.
Hi Olga! How do you shred your cabbage so finely?! 😉
I cook a lot, so chopping is second hand to me. Mandolines are really great tools to use if you want to have very neat and finely sliced vegetables. Here's the one I use.
Oops I pushed reply a little too soon... anyway, I made it this evening with your meatballs (I've never made it with chicken meatballs) and it was amazing! 🙂 I'll definitely make it with the chicken meatballs again and again!
I agree with you, Liza, that Shchi is so versatile and easy to adjust to your flavor preference. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the meatballs made with chicken. Chicken is my favorite meat to use for meatballs, especially for soup. Thanks for taking the time to write.
This is almost exactly how I make shchi! The only difference is the garlic and celery, because my husband doesn't like celery very much and cannot eat garlic. I think one of the best things about shchi is its versatility! You can add and take away many things (I often add mushrooms!) and it'll be amazing if you make sure to salt and pepper generously throughout the process. I also love the clean taste of the broth! Such a comfort food for me! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hi Olga!! I just made this soup, followed the recipie exactly and our family had it for lunch...YUMMY..it is sooo good..thank you so much for your recipies!!
I'm so happy to heat that, Yana! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Made the shchi few days ago, but I had some small ribs, so I made with ribs.... What a hit!!! Everyone loved it, even kids!!!! Mike told me that I need to do more of Russians soups and other Russian meals... Thank you for the recipes!!!
That's awesome, Natalya! I'm so happy to hear that you guys enjoyed this soup. It really makes me so happy to read comments like yours.
Yum - this looks so good! Since my boys LOVE soup, I am giving this a try tomorrow! Every one of your recipes that I have tried never failed me 🙂 So I am sure this one will be a hit too! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Hope you are enjoying time with your new family addition - he is adorable! God bless you guys!
Thank you so much, Natalie! We love having a baby in our family. He's an answer to our prayers.
And thanks so much for using my recipes.
It's been so cold here in WA that I think I want to make this soup. It looks so yummy!
Soups are perfect for chilly days. They have such a cozy and comforting effect.
This looks so good 🙂 want to try it out
Love your recipes, Olga! This one sounds very delicious. Making it today 😉
Thanks, Tatyana. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the recipes.
Olga this is a great idea! My mom always added 1/2 sauerkraut and 1/2 fresh cabbage... It gives it a little bit of tang and more ! flavor
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Hi Anna!
I absolutely love sauerkraut too. I actually have the recipe for the version of Shchi that I make with sauerkraut too. I like to add dry porcini mushrooms to that one.
The soup is just PHENOMENAL!!! Amazing job Olga!
Thank you so much, Vitaliya.