Red Cabbage and Beef Soup with Rice
Annabelle Breakey
We love the meaty soups of Eastern Europe, but they take a while to cook. Here’s a quick, fresh version that works well for a weeknight. Many grocery stores now stock ground bison, which is great in this dish if you can find it. Serve with crusty rye bread, butter, and green onions.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Break beef into 1/2-in. lumps and add to pot. Add onion and caraway seeds. Cook, stirring often, until meat is browned, about 15 minutes. Add cabbage and rice and cook, stirring often, until cabbage softens, 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste to blend. Add 6 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and honey.
Step 2
2
Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until rice is tender, 15 minutes. Remove from heat.* Stir in salt and chopped herbs.
Step 3
3
Ladle soup into bowls and top with sour cream, dill sprigs, and parsley leaves.
4
5
*The soup thickens as it sits, so if you’re not sitting down right away, stir in more broth to thin it just before serving.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound lean ground beef or ground bison
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 cups 1-in. chunks red cabbage
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, heated to boiling, plus more for thinning soup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh dill, plus a few sprigs (from 4 large bunches; about 3 oz. total)
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus 8 to 12 leaves (from 1⁄2 bunch; about 1 oz.)
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
Step 1
1
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Break beef into 1/2-in. lumps and add to pot. Add onion and caraway seeds. Cook, stirring often, until meat is browned, about 15 minutes. Add cabbage and rice and cook, stirring often, until cabbage softens, 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste to blend. Add 6 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and honey.
Step 2
2
Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until rice is tender, 15 minutes. Remove from heat.* Stir in salt and chopped herbs.
Step 3
3
Ladle soup into bowls and top with sour cream, dill sprigs, and parsley leaves.
4
5
*The soup thickens as it sits, so if you’re not sitting down right away, stir in more broth to thin it just before serving.
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