Cabbage Roll Soup

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 Servings

Stuffed cabbage rolls are time-intensive labors of love, involving blanching leaves in a big pot of boiling water, making filling, and putting together a sauce to simmer all those cute little parcels in. While they’re super-satisfying to make and serve, it’s hard to pull them off in a short amount of time, not to mention the mountain of dishes you have to wash afterward.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 pound green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
2 medium carrots (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 (32-ounce) box beef broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 2 1/2 cups), mince 2 garlic cloves, and place both in the same bowl. Core and chop 1 pound green cabbage into 1-inch pieces (4 to 5 cups), peel and dice 2 medium carrots, and place both in second bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic, 1 pound lean ground beef, and 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through and the onion is softened, about 10 minutes.
Add 1 box beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon. Add 1 can diced tomatoes and their juices, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and 1 bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the cabbage and carrots and 1/2 cup uncooked white rice. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice and cabbage are tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Discard the bay leaf. Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the parsley if desired.