Easy Cabbage Meatball Soup
Tasty and nutritious cabbage meatball soup with tomato, lemon, fresh herbs and rice!
Ingredients
- 500 gramsground beef or pork or half and half
- 80 gramsripe tomato
- 1egg yolk
- 4 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 1garlic clove (minced or pressed)
- 50 grams(½ medium-sized) onion (minced)
- 50 gramsshort-grain rice
- 1 ½ tablespoonsparsley (minced)
- 1 ½ tablespoonsdill (minced)
- ⅝ teaspoonmint (minced)
- 1 teaspoonsweet paprika
- ½ teaspoonthyme
- ⅝ teaspoonsalt
- ⅓ teaspoonground pepper
- 10 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 450 gramsripe tomatoes (chopped/diced)
- 2garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoonstomato paste
- 10tabelspoons tomato sauce ((tomato passata) )
- 8 cupshot water or stock ((either vegetable, beef, or chicken stock))
- 1bay leaf
- 100 gramsgreen bell pepper (diced)
- 70 gramscelery stacks including the leaves (chopped)
- 450 gramswhite cabbage (shredded)
- 100 gramsshort-grain rice (rinsed)
- 2 tablespoonsparsley (minced)
- 1 ½ tablespoonsdill (minced)
- 6 tablespoonslemon juice fresh
- extra lemon to serve with
Directions
Prepare the meatballs:
- 1
NOTE: You may prepare the meatballs ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days until you are ready to make the soup.
- 2
Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl and knead to combine thoroughly.
- 3
Shape into 12, round meatballs. About 60 grams each. Place on a dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to get firm.
Prepare the soup:
- 1
Heat 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large cooking pot over high heat.
- 2
Add the diced tomatoes and the garlic.
- 3
Cook for 2 minutes.
- 4
Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Season with salt. Cook for 2 minutes more stirring with a wooden spoon.
- 5
Pour in the hot water or stock. Add the bay leaf and bring to a hard boil.
- 6
Add the meatballs in one at a time. Dip them in with a spoon and wait 30 seconds before adding the next meatball for the temperature to rise to a boil again.
- 7
Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes leaving the lid of the cooking pot slightly open on the side.
- 8
Add the shredded cabbage, the celery, and the bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 10 minutes.
- 9
Add the rice and remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- 10
Add the parsley, dill, and lemon juice. Cook for a minute and then turn the heat off.
- 11
Let the soup sit for 30 minutes on the warm stove to thicken. If you leave it for up to 1 hour it will get even better.
- 12
Serve with extra lemon squeezed on top, freshly ground pepper, or even cayenne pepper.