"Stuffed Cabbage" Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 large egg
3 tablespoons dried unflavored breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 lb ground beef round
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups packed coarsely chopped green cabbage (about 1 lb.)
4 cups beef stock
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup long-grain rice
salt
fresh ground black pepper
sour cream, for serving

Preparation

Meatballs---beat the egg in a medium bowl.
Add the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper; mix together.
Add the beef and mix lightly but thoroughly with your hands; roll into 16 meatballs.
Heat the oil in a large pot over med-high heat.
In batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
Soup--add the oil to the fat in the pot.
Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until it gives off its fragrance, about 1 minute.
Add the cabbage and stir well.
Add the stock, tomatoes, and their puree, water, thyme, sugar, vinegar, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.
Decrease heat to med-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the meatballs and cook until they show no sign of pink when pierced in the center, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the rice and reduce the heat to med-low.
Simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain in a wire sieve and rinse under cold running water.
Stir the cooked rice into the soup; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream on each serving.