Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup,

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes (Stovetop) or 6–8 hours (Slow Cooker)
Resting Time (The Final Step): 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings
Skill Level / Intensity: Easy. (Very low-intensity cooking; mostly chopping vegetables and letting the pot simmer).
Course: Soup / Main Course
Cuisine: American Comfort Food / Country Style

Gather these fresh, wholesome ingredients to prepare your soup:

Meat: 1.5 pounds lean ground beef (or ground chuck)
Aromatics & Veggies:
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
Cabbage: 1 medium head of green cabbage, cored and roughly chopped into bite-sized squares
Broth & Liquids:
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth (or bone broth for extra richness)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (for deep umami flavor)
Herbs & Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil (for sautéing)
- Optional: A pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a mild kick

Place a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the ground beef to the pot. Using a wooden spoon or meat chopper, break the meat apart into small crumbles.
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is thoroughly browned and no pink remains.
Carefully drain off any excess grease, leaving just a thin layer for flavor, and transfer the cooked beef to a clean plate.

Return the Dutch oven to medium heat (using the residual fat/oil in the pot).
Add the diced yellow onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and fragrant.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for about 1 minute until the garlic is aromatic (take care not to let it burn).

Return the browned ground beef to the pot with the vegetables.
Pour in the beef broth and the undrained can of diced tomatoes, scraping up any delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon.
Add the dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything well to combine.
Add the chopped green cabbage to the pot. (It might look like too much cabbage at first, but it will shrink down significantly as it cooks).
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the carrots and cabbage are fork-tender.

The Resting Phase: Remove the pot from the heat source, remove the lid, and discard the bay leaves.
Let the soup rest undisturbed for 10 minutes before serving. This brief resting period allows the intense flavors to meld together and lets the boiling soup cool down to a safe, enjoyable eating temperature where the savory aromas can truly shine.
Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls and serve immediately. It pairs wonderfully with saltine crackers, crusty artisanal bread, or a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top.

If you prefer a set-it-and-forget-it method:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain the grease.
Add the browned beef, diced onions, carrots, celery, minced garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, beef broth, spices, and chopped cabbage directly into a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Estimated values based on 1/8th of the total recipe yield using lean ground beef.