Wash your hands well with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Remove loose outer leaves and wash cabbage. Cut in half through the stem and remove the core from either side. Lay sides flat and chop into one- or two-inch squares.
Wash, peel, and slice carrots.
Peel and cut onion into small pieces.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add ground beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef in a colander.
While beef drains, add oil and onions to the pot. Cook and stir onions over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.
Add cabbage, carrots, and garlic to the pot with the onions and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Return drained ground beef to the pot with the cooked vegetables and add beef broth, tomato sauce, pepper, salt, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir mixture and bring to a boil.
Add rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover pot and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until rice is cooked. Remove bay leaf and serve.
