Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades (2025)

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A perfect smashup of lemony stuffed cabbage rolls and meatball soup to create a quick, warm, and delicious dinner!

Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades (1)

My cabbage roll soup is a fun and easy way to get unstuffed Greek lahanodolmades on the table any night of the week. It combines the flavors of traditionallahanodolmades(stuffed cabbage rolls) andyouvarlakia(Greek meatball soup) into one simple, comforting dish. Tender cabbage, flavorful ground meat, and rice simmer together in a light, lemony broth for a hearty, satisfying dish packed with Greek-inspired flavors. It’s perfect for busy weeknights or when you crave something warm and delicious.

This recipe has all the ingredients of stuffed cabbage rolls without all the fuss of rolling cabbage leaves. Stuffed cabbage rolls take time because you have to boil the cabbage, brown the meat, fill the leaves, and cook it all to perfection, but it’s all completely worth it once you take your first bite. However, I’m busy and in the mood for soup. So, I tried this smashup recipe, and it was a huge hit. I know your family is going to love it, too!

Why will I make this lemony unstuffed cabbage roll soup often?

Melt in your mouth

Meaty, herby

Beef meatballs,

Soft, hearty cabbage,

Tender, perfectly seasoned rice,

Creamy, lemony, saucy broth.

Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades (2)

What’s in the meatballs?

Ground beef -I love to use ground beef because it’s mild in flavor, but it can be substituted with ground chicken or turkey.

Olive oil -to add rich moisture.

Onion -finely chopped to season and blend into the meatballs without being chunky. I like to use my food processor for this because it chops the onion so finely, but you can do it by hand.

Arborio rice -using uncooked rice allows it to absorb all the flavors of the meatball and soup as it cooks and helps hold the meatball together. You could use Carolina rice, too.

Fresh parsley -remove heavy stems and finely chop to add earthy fresh herb flavor.

Dried dill -adds refreshing brightness to every bite.

Salt & freshly cracked black pepper -perfectly enhances all the meatball ingredients.

Dried mint -you’ll be surprised by how this rounds out the meatball flavor with a cool sweetness.

What do I need for the soup?

Olive oil -I like to use a delicious, rich oil to add even more to the soup, but use your favorite sautéing oil.

What do I need for the avgolemono sauce?

Egg yolks -create a rich, silky, luxurious sauce that adds a ton of creaminess to the soup.

Lemon juice -always use fresh juice and leave the bottled stuff for cleaning. I could always add more because I love lemon, but you can start off with less than the recipe calls for and add more to your liking.

Corn starch -to help thicken the sauce and soup without adding flavor.

Dried dill -I love how fresh and herby this makes the sauce.

How do I make the meatballs?

Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Take a golf-ball-sized piece of the mixture and roll it into a meatball. Place all the meatballs on a tray and set aside until ready to add to the soup.

How do I make the soup?

Add the onion and olive oil to a pot and cook over medium heat until soft and golden. Then, add the garlic to warm through until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and bring to a boil.

When do I add the meatballs?

Carefully drop the meatballs into the soup and cook for 20 minutes.

Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades (4)

Can I add the orzo and cabbage at the same time?

Add the orzo, cabbage, and more salt and pepper. Cook until the cabbage wilts -about 20 minutes.

How do I prepare the avgolemono sauce?

In a bowl, whisk all the avgolemono ingredients together. Add some of the hot broth from the soup to temper the sauce. Then, add the sauce to the pot and gently shake it or mix it so the meatballs do not fall apart.

How long should the completed soup cook?

Warm through for 5 minutes until the soup thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more stock if needed to get it to the desired consistency.

How do I serve Cabbage Roll Soup?

All you need to serve this is some toasted bread. Garnish it with parsley and serve. Kali Orexi!

Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades (5)

More Cabbage Recipes:

Lahanodolmades: Greek Cabbage Rolls with Egg Lemon Sauce
Instant Pot Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Lahanodolmades Avgolemono)
Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls (Unstuffed Lahanodolmades)
Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Vegetarian)
Greek Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce: Lahanodolmades

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Cabbage Roll Soup: Unstuffed Greek Lahanodolmades

Yield: serves 5-6

This recipe combines the flavors of traditional lahanodolmades (stuffed cabbage rolls) and youvarlakia (Greek meatball soup) into one easy and comforting dish. Tender cabbage, flavorful ground meat, and rice simmer together in a light lemony broth for a dish that's hearty, satisfying, and packed with Greek-inspired flavors. Perfect for busy weeknights or when you crave something warm and delicious without all the fuss of rolling cabbage leaves!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup Arborio rice, uncooked
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried mint

For the Soup:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, grated
4 quarts chicken stock
1 cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup rice or orzo pasta
salt, to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Garnish: Parsley

For the Avgolemono:

4 egg yolks
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Take a golf-ball sized piece of the mixture and roll into a meatball. Place all of the meatballs on a tray and set aside until ready to add to the soup.

Make the Soup:

Add the onion and olive oil to a pot and cook over medium-heat until soft and golden. Add the garlic and warm through until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.

Carefully drop the meatballs into the soup and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the orzo, cabbage, and some more salt and pepper.

Cook until the cabbage wilts. About 20 minutes.

Prepare the Avgolemono Sauce: In a bowl, combine all of the avgolemono ingredients and whisk them together. Add some of the hot broth from the soup to temper the sauce. Add the sauce to the pot and gently shake the pot or mix it so that the meatballs do not fall apart. Warm through for 5 minutes until the soup thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more stock if needed to get it to the desired consistency.

Garnish with parsley and serve. Kali Orexi!