The only thing in this world that could be better than stuffed cabbage rolls is stuffed cabbage roll soup. This recipe is my take on the classic, grandmother-approved dish that is always a cozy choice for a family dinner.
Add the vegetable oil to a large cast-iron skillet or pot and heat on medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Once the beef is cooked, remove any excess fat with your wooden spoon and discard.
Add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning and cook, constantly stirring, until the onions are translucent and the beef is slightly browned.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef bouillon, and brown sugar.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat.
Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
Add rice, carrots, beef broth, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Add cabbage and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Adjust seasonings to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Finishing Touches
Take out the bay leaves.
Spoon individual servings into bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve!
Notes
Stir the soup pretty frequently while it's cooking to keep ground beef and rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
This soup will thicken as it cooks quite a bit, especially if you use uncooked rice, as I did. If it gets thicker than you want, just add some more water or beef broth to thin it back to your desired consistency.
Instead of cooking rice in the soup, you could use up any leftover cooked white rice you have in the fridge and add it at the end. Any variety of cooked rice will work, including jasmine, basmati, or brown rice.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.