When it turns brisk outside, my soup pot inside is usually full of something warming and hearty. While one of my family’s favorite cold-weather entrees is Cabbage Rolls, these delicacies are reserved for New Year’s Day because they’re extremely labor-intensive.

The soup delivers all the flavors of my favorite cabbage rolls, without the fuss. A package of angel hair shredded cabbage for coleslaw makes preparation a breeze. After a pound of ground beef and some onion are sautéed, the remaining soup ingredients are added and the soup simmers, unattended, for an hour. Once the cabbage is cooked down, and the soup is flavorful, I serve it over cooked white rice for a delicious winter meal.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 10-ounce package fine shredded cabbage for coleslaw (or 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage)
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 32 ounces (4 cups) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked white rice

Brown ground beef and onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drain and return to the pot. Heat over medium-high and stir in cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and paprika. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each soup bowl, then ladle the soup over top.

Makes 8 servings.