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I grew up eating cabbage rolls and they are a classic comfort food that’s hearty, delicious and simple to make. Many people have told me that cabbage rolls are a staple on every pot luck table and a welcome treat during the holidays to feed a crowd.

Now, I grew up eating my Mom’s cabbage rolls…which are the best! She makes them with cabbage leaves filled with ground beef and rice, smothered with stewed tomatoes.

Traditionally cabbage rolls are made with a combination of ground beef and pork. My stuffed cabbage rolls are a lighter variation of the traditional ones. My recipe is cabbage leaves filled with organic ground chicken and rice, coated in a homemade tomato sauce and baked to perfection.

I also make a delicious vegetarian version of cabbage leaves filled with a medley of vegetables.

So try them all and decide which ones you prefer!

Chicken Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Gail Pearce Elegant Entertaining
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Tomato Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups of water
  • 1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • Salt and Pepper

Cabbage Rolls

  • 1 pound ground chicken breast, organic
  • 1 cup rice or barley, cooked
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon, finely chopped
  • 1 large tomato, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons panko style bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 head cabbage
  • 1 cup greek yogurt

Instructions
 

Tomato Sauce

  • In a large pot add olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, and the chili flakes until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.
  • Add carrots and tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down.
  • In a small mixing bowl mix together water, vinegar and tomato paste. Add to the sauce.
  • Add spices and simmer the sauce for an hour.
  • Once the sauce is ready you can partially blend it with an immersion blender. My preference is to leave it a bit chunky to add texture to the cabbage rolls.

Cabbage Rolls

  • Remove the core from the cabbage.
  • Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
  • Immerse the cabbage head in the pot of boiling water, core side down.
  • Cook for five minutes or until cabbage leaves are pliable. Peel 12 large leaves off the cabbage.
  • In a large mixing bowl, place the ground chicken, rice, onion, garlic, parlsey, tarragon, tomato, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper. Add an egg and 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce to the mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Use a small knife to cut a V-shaped notch to remove the thick part of the cabbage rib.
  • Place 1/3 of a cup of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf.
  • Wrap the cabbage leaf around the meat mixture and roll up like a burrito or spring roll.
  • Repeat with the remaining meat and cabbage leaves.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Coat the bottom of a large dutch oven pot or a 9 x 13 baking pan with olive oil, and extra cabbage leaves.
  • Place half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pot or baking dish.
  • Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the dish. Top with remaining sauce.
  • Cover with a lid or if using a baking pan cover with foil.
  • Bake for 90 minutes or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked through.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and a dollop of yogurt, then serve.

Notes

Note: If you are using a baking pan tcovered with foil, then put a baking tray under the pan so that the tray will catch any sauce should it overflow.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Gail Pearce Elegant Entertaining
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 4 celery ribs, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
  • 1 green or red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 head cabbage

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the tomato sauce and set it aside. (see recipe above.)
  • Remove the core from the cabbage and bring a large pot of water to the boil.
  • Immerse the cabbage head in the pot of boiling water, core side down.
  • Cook for five minutes or until cabbage leaves are pliable. Peel 12 large leaves off the cabbage.
  • In a large mixing bowl, place the mushrooms, celery, carrots, zucchini, pepper, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, ginger, soy sauce, salt, pepper. Add an egg and 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Use a small knife to cut a V-shaped notch to remove the thick part of the cabbage rib.
  • Place 1/3 of a cup of the vegetable mixture in the centre of a cabbage leaf.
  • Fold the cabbage leaf around the vegetable mixture and roll up like a burrito or spring roll.
  • Repeat with the remaining vegetable mixture and cabbage leaves.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Coat the bottom of a large dutch oven pot or a 9 x 13 baking pan with olive oil, and extra cabbage leaves.
  • Place half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pot or baking dish.
  • Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the dish. Top with remaining sauce.
  • Cover with a lid or if using a baking pan cover with foil.
  • Bake for 90 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and a dollop of yogurt, then serve.

Notes

Note: If you are using a baking pan covered with foil, then put a baking tray under the pan so that the tray will catch any sauce should it overflow.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!