I wanted some cabbage rolls, but didn't want to spend all day rolling cabbage. This is made from a bunch of different ideas I found all over the place, plus what I know about piggies. Of course you can grill or smoke as much of this as you want to.
1 lb ground beef 1/2 cabbage (4 cups or so), coarsely chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced into rounds or chopped, doesn't matter*
A bay leaf
4 cups prepared Better than Bullion beef flavor
8-24oz tomato sauce, to taste
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice**
3T brown sugar****
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Parsley for serving
Optional: 1can white beans***
Brown the beef with the onions and garlic with some olive oil, then put in the soup pot. You can saute the cabbage in oil first, or put it right in the soup pot. I sauteed it, but you don't have to. Add the rest of the ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rice cooks. Add water or broth if it isn't soupy enough. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
*Carrots aren't in cabbage rolls, but they are in soup.
**I think the sweet spot for the tomato sauce is around 16oz. 8oz wasn't enough, 24 oz was too much. But Mrs liked 24oz. So tastes will vary.
***I liked the beans, they add complexity. It tastes more like cabbage rolls without them, but it is a better tasting soup with them.
**** Add the sugar a little at a time until you are satisfied. This is enough to offset the acidity of 24oz of tomato sauce.
This is really good.
1 lb ground beef 1/2 cabbage (4 cups or so), coarsely chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced into rounds or chopped, doesn't matter*
A bay leaf
4 cups prepared Better than Bullion beef flavor
8-24oz tomato sauce, to taste
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice**
3T brown sugar****
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Parsley for serving
Optional: 1can white beans***
Brown the beef with the onions and garlic with some olive oil, then put in the soup pot. You can saute the cabbage in oil first, or put it right in the soup pot. I sauteed it, but you don't have to. Add the rest of the ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rice cooks. Add water or broth if it isn't soupy enough. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
*Carrots aren't in cabbage rolls, but they are in soup.
**I think the sweet spot for the tomato sauce is around 16oz. 8oz wasn't enough, 24 oz was too much. But Mrs liked 24oz. So tastes will vary.
***I liked the beans, they add complexity. It tastes more like cabbage rolls without them, but it is a better tasting soup with them.
**** Add the sugar a little at a time until you are satisfied. This is enough to offset the acidity of 24oz of tomato sauce.
This is really good.
