St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner and I guess that seems about right. I was going to try to find a fun and ingenious Irish-themed baby announcement to share the news of baby #2, but I came up empty. And I spilled the beans sooner than 15+ weeks.
What can I say? I’ve never been good at keeping secrets. Especially when it’s good news. 🙂
Since beer is out for this year and corned beef isn’t a favorite of ours, St. Patrick’s Day automatically makes me think: CABBAGE!! Much more so than potatoes…CABBAGE.
I’m a big fan of cabbage, particularly in the sinful way of coleslaw. But I really do like cabbage nearly any way I’ve had it which has been boiled, sautéed, and as a part of a soup or stew. Perhaps it’s the Irish in me, I don’t know. I only wish that I could be more creative with cabbage in cooking but you will find me adding it to tacos and salads and sneaking it in for that unique flavor and fun crunch.
So while this Cabbage Roll Soup may not scream “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” to you…it does to me. Especially without beer in my life this year. Okay, I promise I won’t whine about that any more. In this particular blog post.
I wasn’t 100% sure what this soup would turn out like because I’ve honestly never had a cabbage roll. To me, the thought of making them sounds way too labor-intensive for my liking. And kind of messy. Are they like little cabbage burritos with the rice and beef mixture inside? That’s how I envision them being. And as good as they sound, this soup has to be far easier to whip together and enjoy!
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1½ lbs 93% lean ground beef
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 5 cups packed chopped cabbage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium beef broth, divided
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp dried paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¾ tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup dry long-grain white rice
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and season with the salt and pepper. Cook the meat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned; transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of rendered fat and return pot to stove.
- Add onion and carrots to pot and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add cabbage and cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 30-60 seconds longer, or until fragrant.
- Pour in 2 cans of the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. Return beef to pot and brind to a light boil. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Stir in remaining can of beef broth + 1-2 cups water to thin as desired. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot.
- Sunday: BBQ Margarita Chicken Tostadas with Sweet Jalapeno Margarita Salsa
- Monday: leftovers
- Tuesday: Cajun Chicken and Quinoa Skillet
- Wednesday: leftovers
- Thursday: Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Shredded Chicken Sandwiches with baked smashed potatoes
Be well,
