BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP

Yesterday may have technically been the first day of Spring, but when I took my dog out last night before we went to bed, I looked up to see that it was SNOWING. Yeah, so I’m still over here making hot soup because I’ve got a chill that I can’t seem to shake. I decided to make a Beef and Cabbage Soup this week because I’m taking advantage of post-St. Patrick’s Day cabbage sales and I’ve kind of been craving red meat lately. I love combining beef and cabbage because it has this awesome ability to fill you up without weighing you down. This soup is filling, but still surprisingly light, similar to my Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry.

USE UP LEFTOVER VEGETABLES

Another reason I love this recipe is that it’s the perfect catch all for leftover vegetables that you may need to use up. I kept this base recipe super simple (and it’s still delish), but there are a number of other vegetables that I think would go really great in this soup, like celery, potato (small cubes), green bell pepper, or carrots. BUT, I would limit it to adding just 2 or 3 to avoid the pot getting too full.

WHAT TYPE OF TOMATOES CAN I USE?

I took advantage of canned “stewed” tomatoes for this recipe because I love their subtle sweetness and herb-infused flavor. These are quite common in grocery stores in the U.S., but I’m not sure if there is something similar in other countries. If not, I would substitute a large can of whole peeled tomatoes with juices, and perhaps double the herbs and add a small dose of brown sugar to the soup.

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
• ▢ 1 lb. ground beef ($5.99)
• ▢ 5 cups cabbage, shredded (about 1 lb.)($0.29)
• ▢ 2 15oz. cans stewed tomatoes ($0.98)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper ($0.07)
• ▢ 6 cups beef broth* ($0.78)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.06)
• ▢ 1 lemon ($0.32)
• ▢ 1 handful fresh parsley ($0.25)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large soup pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes). Add the ground beef and continue to sauté until browned. If using a higher fat content beef, drain the fat once the beef has browned.
• Add the shredded cabbage, stewed tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, some freshly cracked pepper (I like it peppery, so about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything to combine.

• Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is very soft.
• Taste the soup and add salt if needed (I did not add salt, but you may need to depending on the type of broth you use). Use a spoon to break any larger pieces of tomato into smaller pieces. Squeeze about 1 Tbsp of lemon juice into the soup and add a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine, taste once more and make adjustments if needed, then serve.