CABBAGE AND GROUND BEEF SOUP

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 8 Servings

Comment:
This soup is a great example of one of the interesting ways the Germans of Louisiana incorporated cabbage into their cooking.

Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, cubed
1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
¼ cup minced garlic
1 (5½-ounce) can tomato juice
1 (10-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel® tomatoes
3 (20-ounce) cans red kidney beans
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 cups chicken or beef stock
salt and black pepper to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Method:
In a cast iron Dutch oven, brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to render fat while chopping to separate beef. Drain fat then blend in onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add tomato juice, stewed tomatoes and Rotel® tomatoes. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to simmer. Blend in beans, vinegar, sugar and cabbage. Pour in stock and continue cooking 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce.