Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup -- Slow Cooker

This evening we had one of my favorite type of meals -- "slow cooker / crock-pot" whichever term you prefer to call it. I have always called it crock-pot, but I know that technically that is a brand name (which mine just happens to be). I made a big pot of Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup. I actually started my soup last night. I diced my beef into small 1-inch or smaller cubes, diced an onion and cut up a large head of savoy cabbage into wide strips and then lightly sauteed the beef, onions and cabbage, put it into my crock pot along with a can of fire roasted tomatoes (for extra flavor), beef stock and then added ground chipotle chile powder for a tasty little "kick"...and seasoned with salt and pepper....and BOOM dinner was cooking away in my crock pot over night. I checked it this morning to see how it was doing and decided to continue letting it cook until lunch time and check again. When I came home for lunch, I checked it once more and the cabbage was still a little al dente and I wanted total and complete tender cabbage in my soup...so I let it go until I got home from work. My soup cooked almost 24 hours on low. It turned out awesome! It was so simple without too many ingredients...but the flavor was really good with the addition of fire roasted tomatoes and chipotle chile powder. The broth was a combination of beef stock, fire roasted tomato juice and the juices that cooked out of the cabbage...it was the perfect comfort food soup to come home to on this chilly day.  I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. I love coming home to a crock pot meal -- it's like someone cooked all day long, just for me. Enjoy!

Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup -- Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1-1/2 pounds diced stew beef (approximate 1" cubes)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large head savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped into 1/2-inch wide strips (or regular green cabbage)
4 cups beef stock
1 14.5-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes (including juice)
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high until hot; add beef cubes and brown, stirring frequently. Transfer browned beef cubes and any accumulated juices to a 6-quart crock pot. In same pan, add diced onions and saute over medium high heat until translucent; add cabbage and cook until wilted and slightly softened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer cabbage and onion mixture to crock pot. Pour beef stock over the beef and cabbage/onion mixture. Stir in diced tomatoes with their juices, chipotle chile powder and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours (up to 24 hours). Taste broth for seasoning; add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve in bowls.