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Slow Cooker Spicy Cabbage Beef Soup

Slow Cooker Spicy Cabbage Beef Soup is an American main dish made with browned ground beef, crushed and diced tomatoes, and tender cabbage cooked low and slow until deeply flavored. The thick red-orange broth gets heat from red pepper flakes and finishes with green onions and hot sauce for bright, spicy bites.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef Brown and drain before adding to the slow cooker.
  • 1 cabbage Small head, cored and roughly chopped.
  • 3 carrots Sliced.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes Adjust to taste.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 green onions For serving.
  • 0.25 hot sauce For serving.
  • 0.5 salt To taste.
  • 0.5 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a skillet over medium-high and brown the ground beef until no longer pink, then drain off excess fat and add the browned beef to the slow cooker.
  2. With the beef in the slow cooker, ensure it’s spread out so the vegetables cook evenly.
Build the soup
  1. Add cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth to the slow cooker.
  2. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and cumin until everything is combined and evenly colored.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 7–8 hours, or High for 4–5 hours, until the cabbage and vegetables are very tender.
  2. When finished, the soup should look thick and deeply flavored with softened vegetables throughout.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to fully blend the flavors.
  2. Serve hot with green onions and hot sauce on top.

Notes

Pro tip: for best texture, chop the cabbage and vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they reach “very tender” at the same time. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop or microwave until steaming. Freeze up to 3 months for meal prep; thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or substitute ground turkey) and keep the same spice blend.