Favorite Ingredients Friday!

Some weeks these Fridays just sneak up on me. I forgot to go through my recipes at home, so I went online to find something. I've enjoyed any recipe I've tried from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals show. Some more than others, but none were awful. Since we're expecting to have a high of 6 tomorrow, I thought a nice warm soup sounded good.

I've had versions of this soup, mainly a green pepper version, and always loved it. The reviews were excellent. One person substituted ground turkey and brown rice to make a healthier version that she said was excellent. You can read all the reviews here.

Stuffed Cabbage Stoup

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup raw white rice
1 quart plus 2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground meatloaf mix (a combination of beef, pork and veal)
1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, half a palm full
2 teaspoons smoked paprika, eyeball it in your palm
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler into strips then finely chopped
1/2-3/4 head Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

Heat a sauce pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the rice and toss to coat in oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, bring up to a simmer, cover and cook for 16 to 18 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, once hot add meat and begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the meat with allspice, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, onions, garlic and carrots. Cook veggies 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften them, then add cabbage and wilt it down a bit. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and remaining stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add to the soup and continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and dill, adjust salt and pepper to your taste, and serve.

Go visit Overwhelmed with Joy for more fantastic recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Raspberry Pie & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie
Breakfast Granola
Shrimp Creole
Lazy Man's Lasagna & Apple Cake
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jim's Favorite Jelly Cookie
Eye of Round Roast
Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich
Marcia's Taco Soup
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Cajun Baked Catfish
Jim's Snickers Pancake
Crawfish Monica
Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo
Crockpot Red Beans
Better Than Almost Anything Cake
Fruity Sangria
Outrageous Brownies
Enchiladas de Pollo
Lescó
Catalina Chicken
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ