All the flavors of cabbage rolls with out all the hassle! This soup is easy to make and deliciously flavorful. A delicious new recipe to add to the dinner rotation. Recipe makes about 4 quarts.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up beef occasionally, until browned. Transfer beef to a plate lined with paper towels while reserving 2 Tbsp of the rendered fat in pot.
Add onion and carrots to pot and saute 2 minutes, then add cabbage and garlic and saute 3 minutes longer.
Pour in beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Return beef to soup mixture.
Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a light boil, then add rice, cover pot and reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
Stir in more beef broth to thin as desired (it will thicken as it rests and become almost like a stew), then stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
*Recipe originally listed using 2 Tbsp brown sugar but I've the years I've found 1 Tbsp is plenty.