Croatian Sarma Soup

Croatian Sarma Soup

• 1 lb ground beef, browned
• 2 slices bacon, browned and crumbled
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup tomato juice (I used V-8)
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium beef bouillon cubes
• 14 ounces reduced-sodium diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 -3 cups cabbage, sliced thin
• 2 cups cooked rice

1. Cook bacon in frying pan until crisped, remove from pan to drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
2. Add ground beef to pan and brown in turkey bacon drippings until almost cooked through.
3. Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are transparent.
4. Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
5. Drain meat mixture.
6. Place all ingredients except rice, including meat mixture and turkey bacon, in a large pot and cook over medium heat until it boils. Turn heat down and cook for at least 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is cooked. Add a little water if it gets too thick for your liking. Stir in the hot cooked rice just before serving.  

Adapted from a recipe found at Food.com.  The original stated to cook the soup for 2-3 hours, but since I detest overcooked vegetables I reduced the time to suit my personal preferances.  This was quite good and my husband loved it!  I think it needed a little something extra, so next time I'll throw in some diced bell pepper and see how that works.