Cabbage Roll Soup

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.
2. Add the ground pork and cook until it is browned or has some color on it, breaking up the bits as you go.
3. Add the raw ham (or shoulder/fatty cut of meat), garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of ground pepper to the pot.
4. Continue cooking for a little bit to flavor the mixture.
5. Add the sliced carrots and parsley root to the pot.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and the whole can of tomato sauce (or liquid tomatoes).
7. Pour in 8 cups of water, bring the soup to a boil, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes so the vegetables release their flavor into the broth.
8. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed.
9. Add 1/4 cup of rice to the simmering soup.
10. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes (or according to package instructions) until the rice is cooked.
11. Once the rice is cooked, add the diced cabbage to the pot.
12. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the cabbage reaches your desired tenderness and has a little crunch.