Easy Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Cooler weather is on the horizon and with my love for soup I thought I would try this out. It is hearty, delicious and is sort of a deconstructed stuffed cabbage. Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (I used 1/2 each turkey and beef)
1 cup uncooked rice (regular, not instant)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 medium onion, minced

Soup:

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil
1 minced onion
1 carrot shredded 

6-8 oz tomato paste (1 can)
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can substitute 2 tbsp Splenda for this)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can diced tomotoes

1 cabbage, sliced thin (or a bag of cole slaw, pre-shredded cabbage)
1 tsp dried oregano or basil (whatever your preference)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins

Directions

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine rice, pepper, cumin and onions. Blend to mix, then add meat, combine, then form into 1-inch balls and set aside while you make the soup.

For the soup:
In a large soup pot, Add oil and onions, saute until translucent. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Then add the carrots, tomato paste, brown sugar, crushed tomatoes and diced tomotoes with its liquid. Stir and add water (2 - 3 cups) for desired consistency. Season with pepper and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the soup and stir to blend in. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes more. Add more water if needed to thin the soup if it has gotten thick. Add the meatballs and simmer for 25-30 minutes minutes, until meat is cooked through and rice is tender. Add the lemon juice and raisins 10 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion: add a dollop of sour cream on top.

Note: This could easily be done in a crock pot, Start by putting all the soup ingredients in and stirring to blend. Add meatballs, and just let it cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through.