Description
These Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are tender and savory, infused with Turkish spices. Filled with your choice of ground meat (plant-based options too), toasted pine nuts, bulgar or rice, and simmered in the most flavorful Turkish tomato Sauce. Vegan-adaptable, gluten-free, and keto-adaptable.
Ingredients
1 extra large savoy cabbage (or substitute a round napa cabbage or green cabbage)
Turkish Tomato Sauce:
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves rough chopped
- 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar or alternative sweetener (maple or honey)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup broth or stock (chicken or veggie)
Filling:
- 1/2 cup Turkish tomato sauce
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 lb ground meat (uncooked): ground lamb (my preference) , ground beef, chicken, ground turkey or a plant-based ground meat like Beyond Burger
- 1 cup bulgar wheat (or 1/2 cup raw white long grain rice). See notes.
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (or sub dried oregano or thyme)
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (aleppo is nice)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pinenuts (or slivered almonds)
- 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped (or sub-dried barberries, currants or raisins) ALL OPTIONAL
Garnish: fresh Italian parsley, dill or mint, a few toasted pinenuts, and serve with optional yogurt.
Instructions
- Soak Rice or Bulgar Wheat in a bowl of water for 20 mins, or while you prep.
- Blanch Cabbage: Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage and blanch until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool. Alternatively you can peel off the cabbage leaves and blanch the leaves in batches for 1-2 minutes. You can also microwave the whole cabbage, covered tightly , in a bowl with 1 cup water for 10 mintues. You can also freeze the whole cabbage, then thaw.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Make the Turkish Tomato Sauce. In a large saute pan, over med-high heat, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons oil until tender, 3-4 mins. Lower heat to medium, add garlic, saute 2-3 mintues until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes (and all the juices) sugar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, salt and broth . Stir, bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, then turn heat off.
- Divide the sauce. Place 1/2 cup of this tomato sauce in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish (just enough to lightly coat the bottom) or 11 to 12-inch round braiser. Place another ½ cup of sauce in the bowl with the filling, and save the rest for the top.
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, place the lamb, drained rice or bulgar wheat, garlic, 1/2 cup Turkish tomato sauce, salt, cumin dried mint, coriander, sumac, chili flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, pine nuts, and dried apricots in a medium bowl and mix with a clean, damp hand, until well combined.
- Assemble the Cabbage Rolls: Place a blanched cabbage leaf on the counter. Cut 2 inches of the thick vein out of the bottom end. ( See photo). Fill with 1/3 cup lamb filling and roll up like a burrito, tucking edges in and place seam side down in the sauced, baking dish. Repeat with all. You should have 10-12 ish. See notes, for breakage.Once the baking dish is filled with the rolls, pour the remaining Tomato sauce over top. Give the pan a good shake.
- BAKE: Cover with parchment, then tightly with foil (or a lid). Bake for 1 1/4 hours. If baking in a saute pan, you could heat this up gently on the stovetop (covered) before placing in the oven and then bake for 1 hour.
- Garnish. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley, mint or dill, and a few pinenuts. Serve with a thick creamy yogurt if you like.
Notes
Rice– White basmati or jasmine rice will soften in the roll, no problem- but if using brown rice, cook it first.
Tip: If using ground turkey or ground chicken, to prevent dryness, add 1-2 teaspoons olive oil to the mixture.
Option to make this in stages. Make the sauce ahead, the filling ahead, or blanch the cabbage ahead, storing it in the fridge. You can assemble ahead or make them from start to finish, bake, refrigerate, and reheat (covered).
If the cabbage leaves fall apart, split, get holes, or are too small, you can layer them, or lay two side by side and roll them into one roll. This is typical once you get to the inner smaller leaves.
For a keto version, leave out the bulgar wheat and replace it with raw “cauliflower rice” or with the remaining cabbage (finely shredded). Leave out the dried apricots and the sweetener.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 rolls
- Calories: 594
- Sugar: 19.6 g
- Sodium: 726 mg
- Fat: 31.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.6 g
- Fiber: 12.5 g
- Protein: 26.2 g
- Cholesterol: 66.3 mg
