Like most of the world we are big fans of cabbage rolls.
We don't often make them ourselves because of the work involved. Also, we have a great Polish Hall in the city where we can buy some and our purchase assists seniors in need.
We have made cabbage roll casserole before. This is the first time we've seen a version that is a soup.
Now that cooler weather is here Friday is soup and sandwich night (in the summer it was burger night). I made this soup a few weeks ago and loved it.
It has all of the flavours of cabbage rolls without all of the fuss and bother.
One thing to be careful of - it calls for smoked paprika. I used HOT smoked paprika and the resulting soup was a bit on the spicy side. We liked it but I couldn't have served it to my mother. The hot smoked paprika on top of the cayenne pepper was just too much. Live and learn.
The soup takes about an hour makes. It makes 8 - 10 servings and freezes well.
Enjoy!
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
4 cups chopped green cabbage
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 ¼ cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
4 cups unsalted chicken broth
¼ cup medium-grain brown rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Optional)
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and starting to brown slightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Add cabbage, onion, carrots and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne to the beef mixture; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until the rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley before serving.
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