Easy Ground Beef Cabbage Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2 large garlic cloves
Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-8 minutes until browned all the way through with no pink remaining.
1 pound ground beef
Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
Add the diced tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits.
1 can (14 oz / 400g) diced tomatoes
Add the sliced cabbage and the chicken stock all at once. Stir as well as you can and bring to a boil.
1 medium head cabbage
4 cups chicken stock
Reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage is tender and has collapsed into the broth.
Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste