In the dead of winter, there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup.  With this Stuffed Cabbage Soup, you get all the flavors of a delicious, labor-intensive meal, without all the hard work!

I based this soup on a dish your Polish grandmother might make—called galumpkis—meat, rice and vegetables rolled up in soft cabbage leaves and baked in a savory tomato sauce.  Don’t have a Polish grandmother?  Never fear!  This soup comes together in half an hour and is very forgiving.  No green onions?  Garnish with dill!  Don’t eat rice?  Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt!  You can use ground beef, pork, or even turkey here.  Or do what I did and use leftover meatloaf or hamburgers.  See?  Easy!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or bacon fat
• 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
•  2 cups water
• 1 pound cooked ground beef (I used last night’s leftover meatloaf and broke it into small pieces)
• 1/2 cup minced carrots
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds (or use ground fennel or anise)
• 2 green onions, minced
• rice, to serve

Directions:

1. In a very large pot, sauté the minced garlic in the oil for one minute.  Add the sliced cabbage and stir.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock and the water.  Crumble the meat into the soup and add the carrots.  Stir to combine.
3. Add the tomatoes, paprika, and ground fennel.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid.  Cook for about 15 minutes.
4. To serve:  Ladle soup into a big bowl.  Add a scoop of rice and sprinkle with minced green onions.  Eat hot!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!