So Many Dishes

My mother-in-law was a really good cook. She didn’t have a big repertoire of dishes, but I never had a bad meal at Ken’s home. Her two specialties, as far as Ken was concerned, were lasagna and stuffed cabbage.

Stuffed cabbage is a favorite in our family, too. I tried different recipes over the years until I settled on my own version, which takes elements from several recipes from a Slovak-American woman’s group cookbook that was a gift from Ken’s mother. Our kids didn’t seem to care what recipe I used; I’d make a full pot, but leftovers were rare. Ken and I fondly remember taking Ben and Alice to Saturday lunches at a Russian Orthodox church near West Palm Beach. They were usually the only children there, and the women who served were obviously surprised when the kids went back for seconds of halupki, as we call stuffed cabbage, and pierogi.

Because it’s a dish that cooks for hours, stuffed cabbage is something I cook in the fall or winter. In fact, I was going to make it between Christmas and New Year this past winter, and Alice planned to join me to learn how to do it. However, that turned out to be the day I ended up in the hospital. This was not a normal winter.

Ken and I decided that we wanted soup this weekend, and I pulled out my file of soup recipes. I’d made most of them previously, and there were several that I need to make again soon. A recipe for stuffed cabbage soup sounded really appealing, and that’s what I cooked Saturday.

The recipe, originally from Eating Well, was definitely easier than making actual stuffed cabbage, but tasted every bit as good. I was originally skeptical of the inclusion of a tablespoon of smoked paprika. My halupki aren’t seasoned with anything but salt and pepper. However, the smoked paprika, which is a flavor I really like, was a great addition. I definitely wouldn’t change it. I made a couple adjustments, to the amounts of ground beef and rice. I had a one pound package of lean ground beef, rather than the pound and a half listed in the recipe. I increased the rice from one-quarter to one-third cup. I also used regular long grain white rice; my mother-in-law would never consider using brown rice in her halupki 😄

The result was absolutely delicious. Ken definitely approved. I won’t stop cooking stuffed cabbage, but this a more than acceptable alternative.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 4 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 1/4 cups chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add cabbage, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper to the beef and vegetables. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato sauce and broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. (You can hold the soup at this point if you want to make it earlier).

Bring the broth to a full simmer. Stir in the rice, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender. If desired, sprinkle with parsley before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Happy eating!