Chicken Cabbage Roll Soup

Ingredients

• 3 strips bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 lb (450 g) ground chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups (1.5 L) diced green or Savoy cabbage
• 2 (each 28 oz/796 mL) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cups (500 mL) chicken stock (gluten-free, if required) or water
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup (93 g) long-grain brown rice (such as basmati)
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) Prepared Horseradish
• 1 Tbsp (10 g) sweet paprika
• 2 tsp celery salt
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper
• Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate, and drain off and discard all but 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of the remaining fat.
2. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the stockpot and sauté over medium heat until the onion is almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken and cook through, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the cabbage and add the tomatoes, stock (or water), vinegar, rice, horseradish, paprika, celery salt and bay leaves and stir. Cover the pot, bring it to a full simmer and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 40 minutes. 
4. Remove and discard the bay leaves and stir in the cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

Tip: The flavour of this soup improves as it sits, so I prefer to serve it 2 or 3 days after I make it. Keep in mind that the rice and cabbage keep absorbing liquid as the stew sits, so you may have to add a little water with each reheating. You can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until simmering.