Cabbage Roll Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped, 1 3/4 cups
• 2 large carrots, chopped, 1 1/4 cups
• 5 cups packed chopped cabbage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans low-sodium beef broth
• 3 cans tomato sauce
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp dried paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme or 2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup dry long-grain white rice
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Set a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat and warm 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the beef, season it with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring now and then while crumbling it up, until it is browned. Move the beef to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 2 Tbsp of the drippings in the pot, and set the beef aside.
2. Add the onion and carrots to the pot and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute more.
3. Pour in the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Add the browned beef back to the soup.
4. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring it to a gentle boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender, stirring here and there, about 25 minutes.
5. To loosen the soup, stir in up to 1 cup water or more beef broth, if you want it thinner; it will get thicker as it stands, heading into stew territory. Finish by stirring in the lemon juice and parsley, then serve it warm.