Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup

Drescription

This slow-cooker cabbage roll soup has all the essential flavors of a classic cabbage roll and simmers away to create bold, warming flavors. This savory soup has just a hint of sweetness plus heat from hot sauce. The tomatoes and caraway seeds help create depth but don't overshadow the rest of the flavors. The brown rice garnish rounds out the dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups chopped green cabbage
• 6 medium carrots, diagonally sliced (2 cups)
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 ½ tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 2 (8.8-ounce) packages microwaveable brown rice, heated according to package directions, or 3 cups cooked brown rice, warmed

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add beef; cook, stirring often to break up the meat, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef, onion and drippings to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, broth, brown sugar, paprika, salt, caraway seeds and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker; stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Stir in hot sauce and parsley. Divide the soup among 8 bowls. Top evenly with rice; garnish with additional parsley, if desired.