Video summary

This Might Be The Ultimate Comfort Food

Main summary

Key takeaways

Cooking

Presenter / Channel

Rick (“Backyard Chef”) makes meatball and cabbage soup in a cabbage-rolls-style form using a one-pan method for a rustic result.

Ingredients (with quantities/substitutions mentioned)

Vegetables

  • Onion (diced)
  • Carrots: baby carrots (or normal carrots), sliced
  • Celery: chopped in chunks
  • Cabbage: sliced / big chunks (core can be sliced and used—nothing wasted)
  • Garlic: minced (amount not specified; added to the meatballs and also the soup base)

Meatballs

  • Ground meat: ground beef (can use chicken mince, pork mince, or mixed)
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Egg
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • Dried parsley
  • No milk added (intentionally—fully cooked in the soup)

Soup / Flavoring

  • Olive oil (for browning meatballs)
  • Tin tomatoes: whole preferred (chopped if needed)
  • Tomato puree/paste: a couple of tablespoons
  • Worcestershire sauce (e.g., Henderson’s optional substitution)
  • Dried thyme
  • Bay leaves (a couple)
  • Smoked paprika
  • Dijon mustard
  • Red wine: splash (completely optional)
  • Beef broth: from gravy granules/powder/Oxo cubes or whatever you have

To finish / adjust texture

  • Fresh parsley (stir in and garnish)
  • Corn starch / corn flour + water (only if you want it thicker; add a little)

Serving

  • Crusty bread (optional; also good as-is)

Equipment / Prep

  • Knife + cutting board: prep onion, carrots, celery, cabbage; mince garlic
  • Bowl: assemble meatball mixture
  • Pan: brown meatballs and build flavor with vegetables/garlic
  • Pot / big pan: main one-pan soup process
  • Lid: used for initial simmering, then removed later

Step-by-step method (technique + timing/temperature cues)

1) Prep cabbage and vegetables

  1. Slice cabbage into big chunks/slices.
    • The core can be sliced and added since it all cooks down in soup.
  2. Prep remaining vegetables:
    • Slice carrots (baby carrots used)
    • Chop celery
    • Dice onion
    • Mince garlic

2) Make meatballs

  1. In a bowl, combine:
    • Garlic (minced)
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Egg
    • Salt & pepper to taste
    • Dried parsley
    • Add ground meat and mix to form meatballs
  2. Shape meatballs:
    • Intended yield: ~10 meatballs (could be ~20 depending on size)

Tip mentioned: Don’t add milk—breadcrumbs and egg are enough because the meatballs cook in the soup.

3) Brown meatballs (optional but flavor-boosting)

  1. Heat a pan with olive oil until warm.
  2. Add meatballs; crowd the pan and jiggle to get color.
  3. Brown lightly (optional): adds extra flavor.
  4. Remove and set aside—meatballs go back into the soup.

4) Build the soup base

  1. In the same pan, add:
    • Garlic, then onion + carrots + celery
  2. Cook ~5 minutes (“nice and steady”).
    • All veggies can go in together since it’s a soup that will boil.

5) Add cabbage and cook briefly to caramelize

  1. Add cabbage gradually (“nice and steady”).
  2. Cook so some cabbage catches slightly on the pan in a couple minutes for light caramelization and sweetness.

6) Add tomatoes, seasonings, broth; simmer with meatballs

  1. Add:
    • Tin tomatoes (whole or chopped)
    • Tomato puree/paste (a couple tablespoons)
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Dried thyme
    • Bay leaves (a couple)
    • Smoked paprika
    • Dijon mustard
    • Red wine splash (optional)
    • Beef broth (granules/powder/cubes)
  2. Return meatballs to the pot/pan.
  3. Bring to a simmer, then add the lid.
  4. Simmer for ~25 minutes (range mentioned: “25 half an hour” / “somewhere around about there”).
    • Goal: cabbage should still have a bit of crunch, not fully dissolved.

During simmer: check around 20 minutes.

7) Thicken only if desired (finish open)

  1. After about 10 minutes of additional cooking with no lid, adjust consistency:
    • With lid off, soup won’t thicken much naturally; it keeps a clinging texture.
  2. If thicker is desired:
    • Add corn starch/flour slurry (corn starch/flour mixed with water)
    • Add a little, not too much
    • Let it thicken for about a minute
    • Stir until it becomes a glossy thick soup

8) Remove bay leaves; final flavor

  1. Remove bay leaves once visible (chef removes both).
  2. Turn off the flame; stir in fresh parsley.
  3. Rest briefly (about a couple minutes), then serve.

Chef tips / common considerations

  • Rustic cabbage chunks: slice the core and use it—everything cooks down.
  • Light caramelization improves cabbage flavor: let cabbage catch slightly before adding liquid.
  • Meatballs no milk: breadcrumbs + egg are sufficient since meatballs cook in the soup.
  • Browning meatballs is optional but adds an extra flavor layer.
  • Texture control:
    • For a soup with just enough cling/thickness: keep the lid off near the end.
    • For thicker/glossier soup: add small amounts of corn starch/flour slurry.
  • Bay leaves should be removed at the end.

Plating / serving suggestions

  • Serve in bowls, optionally with crusty bread.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley.
  • Emphasize the layered look: cabbage + veggies + meatballs with a beefy tomatoey broth.

Referenced sources

  • No external sources are referenced in the subtitles.

Original video