Cabbage Meatball Soup

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 comforting, nutrient-packed dish that’s perfect for cozying up on chilly days. This twist on classic Russian Shchi features tender chicken meatballs swimming in a vibrant broth full of fresh vegetables like cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers. It's a wholesome, satisfying meal that comes together quickly, making it ideal for busy weeknights when you need something hearty, delicious, and full of flavor. Whether you're craving something light but filling, or looking to get your veggies in, this soup delivers on all fronts.

Russian Shchi is a beloved, timeless cabbage soup that’s a staple in Slavic kitchens—every housewife worth her salt has mastered this dish. It's packed with nutrients, incredibly comforting, and filling, making it especially cherished during the long, cold winters. While traditional Shchi can simmer for hours, adding meatballs is a fantastic shortcut that brings in heartiness and protein in a fraction of the time.

Decades ago, when we still lived in Belarus, my mom came up with the idea of this soup while trying to make a pot of soup in a hurry.

Back then, store-bought chicken broth was a luxury we didn’t have. If you wanted soup, you had to make the broth from scratch—slowly simmering bones and meat for hours to create a rich, flavorful base. But with five little kids under the age of six, my mom had her hands full. That’s probably why she was so skilled at finding clever shortcuts, and this one became a family favorite.

There’s no shortage of veggies in this cabbage soup—onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers all come together to create a rich, flavorful base. These ingredients infuse the soup with incredible depth, making every spoonful a burst of freshness and taste. 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

Cabbage Meatball Soup Video

Ingredients:

The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

• 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 ideal, but if you’re in a pinch, you can use canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or even a bit of tomato paste to get that rich, tangy flavor.
• Peppers:
  • A sweet bell pepper works perfectly, but feel free to experiment with other mild, sweet varieties of peppers. If you’re in the mood for some heat, you can also add a few hot peppers for a spicy kick.
• 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.
• Meatballs:
  • I like using ground chicken to make the meatballs. They are so tender and delicious. You can easily swap in any ground meat you prefer—beef, pork, or turkey all work great.
• To serve:
  • A sprinkle of fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or green onions adds a burst of freshness.
  • Don’t forget the sour cream—it’s the perfect creamy finish to round out the soup.

How To Make Cabbage Meatball Soup

1. Prep all the veggies
   • Start by shredding the cabbage, chopping the potatoes, dicing the onions, slicing the celery. Cut the carrots and bell peppers into matchsticks, and dice the tomatoes. Don’t forget to save the tomato juice to add to the soup later too.
2. 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.
3. Cook 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.
4. Add peppers, tomatoes, and garlic
   • Next, add in the bell peppers, the diced tomatoes with their juice, and the garlic. Season again with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
5. Pour in water and bring to a boil
   • Now, 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.
6. Add the potatoes and simmer
   • 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.
7. Add cabbage and meatballs 
   • Lastly, add the shredded cabbage and your meatballs to the soup. The meatballs will gently cook in the broth, infusing the soup with flavor.
   • Simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
8. Garnish and serve
   • Once the soup is ready, garnish with freshly chopped herbs like dill, parsley, or green onions for a burst of freshness.
   • Serve with a dollop of sour cream for extra creaminess and richness.

Making the Meatballs

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), then 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!

Serving Cabbage Meatball Soup

Cabbage soup, just like most other Shchi (cabbage soups), like Sauerkraut Shchi and Borscht, are served with sour cream and bread. Absolutely delicious!

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Cabbage Meatball Soup

Olga Klyuchits

This cabbage meatball soup is a wholesome, satisfying dish that's full of fresh vegetables and tender chicken meatballs.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Soups

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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. 

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