Stuffed Cabbage
Prep. Time
1.5 hours
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings
10-15 stuffed cabbage
Difficulty
Expert
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free
This recipe is a little labor of love for me. It's all about slow cooking and deep, rich flavors. There’s something so satisfying about the process—the way the rice absorbs all the spices and the delicate earthy sweetness of the beets and carrots melds together. Scalding the cabbage leaves might take a little extra care, but it's worth it for that soft texture that holds the stuffing so beautifully. The slow simmering of the cabbage rolls in their sauce lets the flavors truly develop, making each bite feel like it’s been cooked with love and time. It’s not a rushed dish—it’s a dish that asks you to take your time and savor the process. And when it all comes together, you get something that feels like home - warm, comfort and depth.
Ingredients
For the stuffed cabbage
A large white cabbage (stem removed)
1 ½ cups (12oz) long-grain rice
4-5 small steamed beets -or- store-bought precooked beet
2 medium carrots
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup (4oz) fresh parsley, finely chopped
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped -or- 1 tsp dry basil
5 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsps Sunflower oil (for sauteing the onion)
For the sauce
4 cups of hot vegetable broth -or- hot water with 1 tbsp consomme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 wiped tbsp sweet paprika
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon squeeze
1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
Preparing the stuffing
Rinse the rice until water is clear, and place it in a 2qt pot and add 3 cups of filtered water, 3 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tsps of salt.
Cover with a lid and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 15 more minutes or until there is no more water.
Preheat a large nonstick pan to low/medium heat, and add 2 tbsps of vegetable oil.
Finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, with occasional stirring (every minute or two) until the onion is sauteed well and is golden in color.
Grate the beets and carrots on top of the rice, and add 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil, spices, parsley and onion. Mix well. Now the stuffing is ready!
Preparing the cabbage leaves
Scalding the cabbage leaves is necessary to get them to soften-up and allow us to stuff them and fold them easily.
Use a deep medium-sized pot - fill it up with water and bring to boil.
Remove the cabbage stem ending and carefully place it in the pot.
Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, and remove from the pot. Let cool until feasible to touch.
Stuffing the leaves
When the cabbage has cooled down, start unwrapping the leaves carefully, and place them aside until you finished unwrapping them all.
Place 2-3 tbsps of stuffing in the middle of each leaf, depending how big the leaves are.
Fold the leaves – starting from the sides – fold each side onto the middle, as if the sides are hugging the stuffing. Then take the upper part of the leaf and fold it on top of the already-folded sides, and continue to roll the entire ‘package’ until you “meet” the root of the stem more or less.
Place the stuffed cabbage leaves one by one in a wide low oven-safe pot.
Cooking & baking the dish
Pour the premade sauce over the cabbage, making sure it covers the stuffed leaves.
Turn on the stove on high heat, cover the pot with the lid, and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the lid, and make sure there is sauce in the pot, at least up to 1/2 of the cabbage's height.
Place the pot the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
The sauce will reduce and thicken and the leaves should be golden brown on top. The cabbage should also become somewhat transparent.
Serving this dish is best after the stuffed cabbage has cooled down a little, and the flavors had time to come together and form. Enjoy!!!
Notes
Precooking the rice ensures it is perfectly tender.
You can use dried instead of fresh parsley and/or basil, if needed.
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