Y’all already know how much I love cabbage and this soup is no exception. I’m a big fan of cabbage rolls but frankly, not the amount of work it takes to get them all done, rolled up, and into the oven, so why not turn them into a soup? This soup is fairly easy to throw together and as low maintenance it is, it can make an easy weeknight dinner as long as you have some ground beef on hand. If you want to omit the beef and use ground turkey or a plant-based meat substitute instead, that’s definitely an option!

Cabbage Roll Soup

Serves: 6-8

Cook time: 45 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil

1lb ground beef, 85/15

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp light brown sugar

1/2 cup pinot noir (optional)

1 Cons-Mate cube, crumbled (see note)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 small celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 small bay leaves

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

1/2 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh

1 15oz can tomato sauce, unsalted

7 cups water

1/2 cup white rice

1 small head green cabbage, cut into chunks

Note: the red wine is optional but I would definitely suggest it since it gives the soup a nice depth. As far as the Cons-Mate, that is a tomato bouillon cube sold in the Latin food section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, just substitute a chicken or vegetable bouillon cube. If you don’t have nutritional yeast flakes, that’s totally fine, but I love using them in soups for an added punch of umami and depth.

In a large pot, add the olive oil and over medium heat, brown ground beef. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Using the back of your spoon, break apart the meat and cook until it’s no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat and add the meat back to the pot. Then, add the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and light brown sugar.

Once the beef is nice and browned, deglaze the pot with the red wine, stirring to scrape up any good bits on the bottom of the pot. When most of the wine has cooked down and reduced, crumble up and add the cons-mate cube, the diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, bay leaves, and nutritional yeast flakes. Cook until onions are slightly translucent but still crisp. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil and skim any fat that pools around the edges of the pot with a ladle or spoon and discard.

Once the soup is boiling, stir in the rice and turn heat down to medium-low to simmer until rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fold in the green cabbage and heat through until the cabbage is wilted. Serve and enjoy!

¡Buen provecho!