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beef and bean soup sprinkled with parsley in a blue bowl
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5 from 1 vote

Beef and Bean Soup (with Cabbage)

A hearty beef and bean soup with meatballs, cabbage, and black beans – the perfect autumn or winter soup.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 -8
Calories: 395kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3.5 oz bacon 100 g
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2-3 celery stalks depending on size (or about 50 g/ 1.7 oz celeriac)
  • 1 small leek
  • 1 small red bell pepper
  • ½ tablespoon sweet paprika powder
  • 6 ½ cups chicken stock or beef stock, 1 ½ liter
  • 1 can diced tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 9 oz white cabbage 250 g, Note 1
  • 1 can black beans 400 g/ 14 oz (or another sort of canned beans)
  • 1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • fine sea salt and pepper

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef 450 g
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or frozen parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt less if using table salt
  • generously freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Chop: Cut the bacon into small cubes. Chop the onion finely. Set both aside in a small bowl.
  • Chop the carrot, celery stalks or celeriac, leek, and pepper into small cubes. Set aside in another bowl.
  • Slice the cabbage very finely or chop it into small pieces. Set aside in another bowl.

Meatballs:

  • Combine: Chop the onion very finely. Combine the ground beef with the onion, grated garlic clove, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix very well with your hands.
  • Shape meatballs, about 30-35 walnut-sized meatballs. Set aside.

Soup:

  • Saute: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the bacon and the onion and saute for about 3 minutes.
  • Add the carrot, celery, leek, and pepper, stir well and saute, stirring often, for about 5 more minutes. Add sweet paprika to the vegetables, stir well for one minute.
  • Add the stock, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, one teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
  • Simmer soup: Stir well and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.
  • Add cabbage and bring to a boil again. Simmer for 5 minutes, add the meatballs and drained black beans, and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the meatballs arec cooked through.
  • Adjust taste: Add 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and more salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining red wine vinegar according to your taste.

Notes

  1. Sub with green or sweetheart/ pointed cabbage. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the dish | Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1125mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g