Cabbage Roll Soup with Ground Beef and Rice Recipe
Tender green cabbage, ground beef, carrots, and rice in a savory tomato broth. Cook the rice separately for easier control over the texture, then stir it into the soup or spoon it into individual bowls.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice cooked according to package directions to yield approximately 2¼ cups
- Water for cooking rice according to package directions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
- 2 medium carrots diced, about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 6 cups chopped green cabbage about 1¼ pounds or 570 grams after coring
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-oz can plain tomato sauce
- 6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon table salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley or dill optional for serving
Instructions
- Cook the rice. Prepare the rice in a saucepan according to its package directions. Aim for approximately 2¼ cups cooked rice. Set aside while you finish the soup, or keep refrigerated if using previously cooked rice.
- Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a 6- to 7-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces. Let any released liquid cook off. Drain excess fat if needed. Cook the beef to 160°F, checked with a food thermometer.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the onion and carrots. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Build the soup. Add the cabbage, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir well and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and partially cover. Simmer gently for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage and carrots are tender.
- Add the rice. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked rice and simmer briefly until heated through. If using chilled leftover rice, heat the combined soup to 165°F. For meal prep, keep the rice separate and add properly heated rice to individual bowls instead.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the vinegar, starting with ½ teaspoon if your tomatoes taste sharp. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Add more broth if needed, then serve with optional parsley or dill.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Rice amount: The recipe uses about 2¼ cups cooked rice. Do not add 2¼ cups dry rice to the soup.
- Brown rice: Substitute the same volume of cooked brown rice and prepare it separately.
- Soup consistency: Rice absorbs broth as it sits. Keep it separate for leftovers or add broth when reheating.
- Optional sweetness: Add 1 teaspoon brown sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter tomato broth. It is excluded from the nutrition estimate.
- Storage: Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days. Freeze the soup base without rice for 2 to 3 months for best quality. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
- Estimated nutrition per serving: 290 calories, 18 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 6 g fiber, 11 g total sugars, and about 800 mg sodium. Estimates exclude toppings and vary by brand and portion.
Nutritional Information
For one-eighth of the recipe, including the rice and excluding toppings, the estimated nutrition is:- Calories: approximately 290
- Protein: approximately 18 grams
- Carbohydrates: approximately 36 grams
- Total fat: approximately 8 grams
- Saturated fat: approximately 3 grams
- Fiber: approximately 6 grams
- Total sugars: approximately 11 grams
- Sodium: approximately 800 milligrams, with a wide range depending on the broth, tomatoes, sauce, and added salt