One Pot Cabbage Roll Stew

I love cabbage rolls in the winter and this is a deconstructed fast an easy version of the classic rolls, with my own special twist. I toasted some fennel seeds in the olive oil before adding the ground pork and instead of rice I used Italian Farro. The fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock and ground pork creates a wonderful indulgent broth that is so comforting on cold winter days.  This one pot meal is easy to make, packed with flavor and is incredibly hearty. I was very happy with the results and I wanted to share this recipe with all of you.


Ingredients- 8 Servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 large yellow onion- diced
1 large carrot- diced
2 large celery stocks- diced
4 cloves garlic- minced
1 small head cabbage or 1/2 large head cabbage- thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley- stems removed and diced, leaves chopped and set aside for garnish
1 tbsp paprika or smoked paprika- I used regular paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 container (900 ml) no salt added chicken stock
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
salt and pepper as desired
110 grams Italian farro


Directions

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot and add the olive oil and fennel seeds. Toast the fennel seeds for about a minute. They should be sizzling and fragrant. 
2. Add the ground pork and mix with the fennel seeds. Stir scraping the bottom of the pot making sure the meat and seeds do not burn.
3. Once the meat is cooked, add the onions, carrots, parsley stems and celery. Saute for 6 to 7 minutes until the vegetables start to caramelize. 
4. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. 
5. Add the paprika and garlic power and mix into the meat and vegetable mixture. Once the dried spices hit the pot they will toast adding more flavor to the dish. Saute for about a minute.
6. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock making sure to scrape all those wonderful flavor bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and bring the stew to a boil. 
8. Add the cabbage and mix well. Season the stew with salt and pepper and turn the heat down to medium. Slightly cover the stew and cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked. 
9. Add the farro and cook for 10 minutes or until the farro is cooked. The package I used indicated a 10 minute cook time. 
10. Add the chopped fresh parley to the stew and serve. Garnish with parmesan cheese  if you wish.....I ALWAYS do!
11. Enjoy.