Cabbage Rolls Recipe: How to Make Stuffed Cabbage rolls

Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Cabbage rolls are stuffed cabbage made with minced meat such as beef, pork, lamb, or any type of protein such as seafood, which is common in Asia; you can as well make the vegan cabbage rolls recipe using mushrooms or tofu to substitute for meat. In this stuffed cabbage rolls recipe, I combined beef and mushrooms and you can choose what you add to it.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized cabbage
  • 500 grams of minced beef
  • 200 grams of finely chopped mushrooms
  • 1 diced tomato. You can also use tomato puree.
  • 1/3 cup of tomato puree
  • 1/4 cup of red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp of red chili pepper and 1 tsp of beef seasoning.
  • 1/2 tsp of all-purpose seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp of salt to taste
  • 1 and a half cup of beef stock
  • 2 tbsp of cooking oil
  • 1 cup of cooked white rice
  • 3 tbsp of chopped parsley
  • 1 diced onion
  • 3 minced garlic cloves

How to Make Cabbage Rolls

Cooking the cabbage

  • Remove the hardened core of the cabbage first before blanching it because it makes it easier to peel off.
  • You need to blanch the cabbage. Place a pot on the heat and add some water to it. Allow the water to heat up and then add your cabbage to it. The hardcore part should first downwards to enable it to soften up. You can wash the cabbage before blanching in boiling water or simply remove the dirty leaves of the first layer.
  • Allow the cabbage to simmer for about 10 minutes until it is soft. When it is softened, remove it from the hot water and allow it to cool down. Blanching the cabbage properly in the boiling water prevents the leaves from breaking or tearing when you want to peel it off and wrap the filling in it.

Making the cabbage roll filling

  • While the cabbage is getting soft, start making the filling for the cabbage roll. Place a pan on heat and add about 2 tbsp of cooking oil to it.
  • Once the oil is heated, add 1 finely chopped onion to it and saute until the onions are fragrant, and then add 3 minced garlic cloves and saute for about 30 seconds.
  • Now, add the minced beef. You can use minced pork, lamb, or if you are vegetarian use mushroom only. Cook the beef until it is no longer pink.
  • Once the beef is no longer pink, add the mushrooms and also 1 diced tomato. Add  3 tbsp of chopped parsley.
  • To the cabbage roll filling, add some seasoning such as red chili pepper, all-purpose seasoning, salt, and beef seasoning; then, stir to combine.
  • Cover and allow the filling to cook for 5 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and allow the cabbage rolls filling to cool down.

Cooking the filling for 5 minutes reduces the baking time because the meat and other ingredients have been softened by sauteing before baking. You can simply add all the ingredients, wrap them with the cabbage and bake without even sauteing or prior cooking; but the baking time in this instance would be longer.

Stuffing the cabbage (Wrapping the cabbage rolls)

  • Once the filling has cooled down, transfer to a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of cooked white rice and mix together.
  • Now, peel off the layers or leaflets of the cabbage and place on a flat plate; scoop 2 tbsps of the fillings to the cabbage leaves.
  • Wrap the filling with the cabbage such that it forms a roll. When you are done, arrange it on a baking pan. Repeat until you are done with the filling.
  • You can add sauerkraut, beef stock, and tomato puree. To do this, to 1 and a half cup of beef stock, add 1/3 cup of tomato puree; stir to combine nicely, and then pour it over the surface of the cabbage rolls prior to baking.
  • After that, bake the cabbage rolls in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 50 minutes. It will take longer even up to an hour and a half if you didn’t cook the filling prior to the wrapping.

To prevent the cabbage rolls from burning,  you can cut some cabbage into small pieces and sprinkle them on the surface of the arranged cabbage rolls prior to baking. It can also be covered with foil paper to help retain the moisture and prevent direct heat to the cabbage rolls.

After 50 minutes, your easy homemade cabbage roll recipe is ready. It is easy to make but takes a long time to prepare.

Any excess can be frozen and reheated later in the oven the same way it was baked before eating.

Nutrition and Calories

Beef and rice stuffed cabbage rolls contain a high amount of carbs, cholesterol, and sodium.  Beef and rice stuffed cabbage roll contains about 102 calories, 41mg of cholesterol, 3.5 grams of fat with 1.5 grams of saturated, 223 mg of sodium, 8 grams of carbohydrate, and 9 grams of protein.

Some frequently asked questions:

What do you eat cabbage rolls with?

Cabbage rolls are usually eaten with a sauce such as a lingonberry jam in Sweden and Finland; it can also be eaten with a tomato-based sauce; sour cream; or yogurt and lemon plus olive oil (as it is done in Lebanon). Common side dishes that can be eaten with cabbage rolls include slow cooker mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, chickpea salad, roasted carrots, or couscous.

What is the best way to soften cabbage for cabbage rolls?

The best way to soften cabbage for cabbage rolls is to cut out the core first, then place the cabbage in a large pot with enough water then cover and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes with the hardcore facing downwards.

What ethnicity are cabbage rolls?

Cabbage rolls are very common in Poland where they are called Golabki in Polish which refers to wrapped beef (or pork) and rice (or barley) with cabbage leaves. Gołąbki is also called Golumpki or Gwumpki. In the Slovak areas of Poland, it is commonly called Halupki.

Why are my cabbage rolls tough?

If the cabbage roll is tough, it means you didn’t boil it enough prior to baking. In this instance, you need to add more baking time until the cabbage is softened.