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.

Curry Soup

Soon I will be posting more summer recipes, but here I am with another soup. As you may have already figured out, I am a soup nut! Also, my latest endeavors include Indian spices, especially curry and garam masala. For the moment, just about every time we go to a restaurant I order something with curry if it is available.

This soup is delectable. It is not HOT, as in spicy hot. I will have a few suggestions below the ingredients if you would prefer it that way.

In this version I used ground beef. Traditional Indian cuisine is vegetarian, so that would not include meat,  This certainly can be made without meat or with chicken. (mmm, curry chicken comes to mind.)


This recipe makes a large pot, about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 containers chicken stock (about 6 cups)
• 1 cup white wine (can be replaced with 1 cup water)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 stick butter (Promise)
• 6 carrots sliced (1/4-1/2 inch slice)
• 1 package, frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (sometimes called coriander)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons each onion powder and garlic powder
• optional: cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper or dashes of hot sauce to taste, for *heat*

Directions:

1. In a 2 qt or larger pan, boil carrots in one container of chicken stock and wine until tender.
2. In a soup pot, brown ground beef, with the black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder until no longer pink. Remove meat and set aside, reserving about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
3. Saute onions, celery and pepper in the reserved fat of the soup pot until tender. Add the 1/2 stick butter when the fat is absorbed and continue cooking.
4. Add the cornstarch and let cook through, about 1 or 2 minutes.
5. At this time, add the curry, stir, then add the remaining stock.
6. Let this come to a boil, it will thicken a little.
7. Add the broccoli or cauliflower, let it come back to a boil.
8. Turn off heat.
9. Add the carrots (with the liquid they were boiled in) into the soup pot.
10. Blend in. Taste.
11. Add more curry if you want at this point. Also, any *heat* you have chosen to add.
12. Once you have the flavor correct add the cooked ground beef and chopped cilantro.

Serve with a few whole cilantro leaves on top, or a small dollop of sour cream.

Note: If you refrigerate leftovers this soup will thicken. Add a little water when reheating for a more soup-like consistency.

Cheeseburger Chowder

Was looking for something new this weekend and this sounded really yummy. Almost like a chowder, but tastes like a cheeseburger. The family really loved it, so it will be making repeat appearances on my dinner table.

The only measurable salt content is in the cheese or the broth and it could be made gluten free, just pay attention to labels on your ingredients to adjust this to your needs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 shredded carrot
• 3 tablespoons butter (Promise sticks)
• 3 cups chicken stock (or 1 large container)
• 4 potatoes, diced to bite size
• 3 heaping tbsp corn starch
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
• 1/4 cup sour cream

 

Directions

• In one pan cook diced potatoes in chicken stock. Cook til tender, do not drain.
• In a soup pot, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same pot, saute the onion and carrot in butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Add seasoning and cornstarch, continue to saute til well blended and cooked through.
• Add the broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Keep stirring and the mixture will thicken. Add milk, reduce heat a little and bring to a boil again.
• Add 1/2 the cheese and stir until melted/blended in. Add the remaining cheese, continuing to stir until blended in. Turn off heat.
• Add in sour cream and blend.
• Ready to serve!
• Makes 6-8 servings