Make Ahead

Meaty Cabbage and Rice Stew

January  9, 2014
4.7
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 6 to 8 servings
Author Notes

This is a winter "go to" recipe in our house -- some meat, cabbage, rice, and tomatoes flavored with garlic and paprika makes for a warming one-pot meal. We really like this with lamb, but veal and/or pork are good too! —inpatskitchen

Test Kitchen Notes

This a great, simple and cozy stew. Total comfort food. It's a meal that feels like putting a pair of warm fuzzy slippers on your insides. It came together easily, and it did indeed make good leftovers -- it became thick and almost risotto-ish the next day. —fiveandspice

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Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 pounds lamb, pork, or veal shoulder meat (or a combination), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning the meat
  • 1 large onion cut into a large dice
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • one 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
  • 6 cups chicken broth, divided, plus more if needed
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1/2 head of a large cabbage, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Salt, black pepper, and more paprika for seasoning if needed
Directions
  1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the meat cubes liberally with salt and pepper and, working in batches, brown the meat well. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
  2. Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, stir in the diced onion, and saute until slightly softened. Stir in the sliced garlic, paprika, and crushed red pepper (if using) and sauté for about a minute more.
  3. With your clean hands, crush the tomatoes and add them to the pot along with 4 cups of the chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon scrape up any fond from the bottom of the pot for added flavor. Add the reserved meat along with any of its accumulated juices and bring the mixture up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the meat becomes tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
  4. Add the rice, cabbage, and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring back up to a boil and then simmer again for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is done. Stir in the parsley and season with salt, pepper, and paprika if needed. At this point if you'd like a "looser" stew, stir in a little more chicken broth. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: inpatskitchen

I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining. My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!

27 Reviews

Pam S. January 11, 2022
This is wonderful. I regularly make this dish with bulk breakfast sausage as the meat with additional sage. (I see another reviewer uses hot Italian sausage.) This is one of our favorite quick weeknight meals.
mcdivot April 19, 2021
THIS IS A FABULOUS DISH I WILL MAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN! I didn't expect to love it so much, but I do! I don't eat lamb, veal, or pork, so I substituted beef and cooked an extra 30-40 minutes until the beef was tender. I also used brown rice, which needed to cook longer, too, and just added water now and then to accommodate the longer cooking times. I might try adding green beans next time! :-)
inpatskitchen April 19, 2021
I'm so happy you enjoyed this. It's a regular at our house (especially during the cold Michigan winters).Thanks so much!
Beth M. November 9, 2019
Great recipe we have made many times. Used bulk hot Italian sausage this time. Wonderful change in flavor!
inpatskitchen November 9, 2019
Thanks so much Beth! I just LOVE the idea of Italian sausage!
Maja May 15, 2019
I make this a lot except I use ground beef which I highly prefer over the meat cubes. Great recipe!
inpatskitchen May 15, 2019
Thanks so much Maja! We sometimes use ground lamb for this and enjoy it as an alternative.
Upasaka January 16, 2016
This recipe is realy good. One serving suggestion - add a spoon or two of sour cream just before serving. Sour cream gives it whole new dimension.
inpatskitchen January 16, 2016
Thanks Upasaka! The sour cream addition sounds wonderful!
Karen O. December 30, 2015
Can you use beef in this as I do not eat lamb, or veal? This looks wonderful!
inpatskitchen December 30, 2015
Sure you can....just make sure you use something like a chuck roast, cut up. You don't want it too lean.
Carlynn V. April 23, 2015
Thanks for the great recipe! I replaced half the meat with cooked chickpeas and added a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end to brighten the flavors. Delicious! I will definitely be making this one again.
inpatskitchen April 23, 2015
I LOVE the chickpea addition! So happy you enjoyed!
MizF December 14, 2014
Miscalculated available time -- now I have to pause, refrigerate the whole thing just before the step where you add the cabbage & rice, then reheat & start again from that point. Any warnings, suggestions?
inpatskitchen December 14, 2014
I think you'll be just fine! Enjoy!
MizF December 4, 2014
My family loves this. I've been draining the tomatoes — did you mean drained or undrained? "Crush with your hands" hasn't worked all that well; I'll likely switched to diced.
inpatskitchen December 4, 2014
Undrained...I usually dump the whole can into a bowl and squish, squish, squish with my hands. I think diced will work though. So glad your family enjoys this. Thanks!
ChrisMorrissey October 16, 2014
I made this last night and it was so good. I messed up and accidentally added all 6 cups of the broth at once with the tomatoes. It ended up not seeming to matter all that much, the cabbage and rice thickened it right up and the meat was tender and ultimately had a beautiful stew consistency. I used napa cabbage to get a less bulky texture, and used 1/4 tsp of the crushed red peppers. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks @inpatskitchen!
inpatskitchen October 16, 2014
Thank YOU Chris!
aimeebama October 15, 2014
Very good. Made this tonight with macaroni instead of rice (somehow we were out of rice). Huge hit with my partner, our 3-year-old and our 10-month-old.
inpatskitchen October 16, 2014
Thanks aimeebama! So happy the little ones enjoyed!
Jocelyn October 12, 2014
I will definitely try this. Just wondering if cabbage will not overcook when added together with rice?
inpatskitchen October 12, 2014
Hi Jocelyn! If you want crisper cabbage just wait to add it 5 or 10 minutes after adding the rice. I personally like it soft and silky. Hope you enjoy!
AntoniaJames October 9, 2014
I'm definitely making this for my sons when they're home next. They're going to love it! Congrats on the CP, ipk. ;o)
inpatskitchen October 9, 2014
Thanks AJ! Nice and filling for those guys!
Brussels S. October 2, 2014
This recipe sounds fantastic. I'll definitely be giving it a try!
inpatskitchen October 2, 2014
Thanks so much! Please let me know how it goes!