Cabbage Roll Soup

Making cabbage rolls can be tedious but the results are well worth the effort.  How about enjoying the rich flavors of cabbage rolls with half the work?  Well if that sounds good to you, then pull up a chair and let's enjoy some Cabbage Roll Soup!

INGREDIENTS 
1 lb. ground beef

1 large yellow onion, diced

5-7 carrots, diced

1/4 cup dried mushrooms, crumbled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

7 cups chopped green cabbage (about half of a large sized head)

5 cups vegetable stock

1 can (32oz) crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup uncooked brown rice or grain of your choice

2 dried bay leaves

1 tsp. sea salt, or more to taste

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2 teaspoons dried basil

Sour cream for serving 

Add oil to the bottom of a large soup pot with heat to medium.     Add carrots, onions, cabbage and salt.  Cook with lid on until vegetables are softened.  Add small amounts of vegetable stock when vegetables begin sticking to the bottom of the pot and stir.  Once vegetables are softened, add the remaining vegetable stock, dried mushrooms, canned tomatoes, garlic and remaining spices. Meanwhile in a separate pan, cook ground beef until browned and add to soup pot.  Add rice and simmer on medium heat for at least 45min. Once rice is cooked, you can simmer on low until ready to eat.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  

Here I used 1/2 pound of organic, grass-fed beef and 1/2 pound ground deer meat.

Cook to brown.

Soften vegetables, adding stock when needed.

Chop cabbage

Add spices.

Add remaining stock.

Add crushed tomatoes

Add browned meat.

I used Freekeh, instead of rice.

A bowl of cabbage roll soup!

The flavors and health benefits are rich.

The Many Benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is an excellent source of both Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Vitamin K is important for the health of our bones and has been shown to prevent fractures in post-menopausal  women.  In several large studies, cabbage has been shown to be very important in the prevention of diabetes.  It is also an excellent source of Sinigrin, a sulfur-containing compound known to prevent various forms of cancer including bladder, colon and prostate. Cabbage juice has been found to aid in the healing of stomach ulcers.  There are 4 grams of fiber per 1 cup serving, totally only 44 calories. This makes cabbage more fiber dense than beans! Cabbage is also  the second most economical cooked vegetable in terms of price per edible cup, behind the potato.  Given it’s vast health benefits, cabbage is a nutrient bargain. 

Let me know, how you make yours?  What meat or grain combination did you try?  How were your results?