Stuffed Cabbage Rolls—soft cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory meat-and-rice filling, simmered in a rich tomato sauce.
🥬 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
🧾 Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1 large cabbage head
- 500g ground beef (or chicken/mix)
- ½ cup uncooked rice (or 1 cup cooked rice)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2–3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 cups tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1–1½ cups water or broth
- 1 tsp sugar (balances acidity)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: chili flakes or paprika
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare cabbage leaves
- Boil a large pot of water.
- Carefully remove cabbage core and place whole cabbage in boiling water.
- Peel off softened leaves one by one (2–3 minutes).
- Trim thick veins so they roll easily.
2. Make filling
In a bowl mix:
- ground meat
- rice
- onion, garlic
- egg
- salt, pepper, paprika, parsley
Mix gently—don’t overwork it.
3. Roll them
- Place filling on each cabbage leaf
- Fold sides in
- Roll tightly like a wrap
Repeat until done.
4. Make sauce
In a pot:
- sauté onion in oil
- add garlic
- add tomato puree + paste
- add water/broth
- season with salt, pepper, sugar
- simmer 5–10 minutes
5. Cook rolls
- Place rolls seam-side down in sauce
- Cover and simmer on low heat 40–60 minutes
- Stir gently or shake pot occasionally
🍽️ Serve
Serve hot with sauce spooned over the top. Optional: yogurt or sour cream on the side.
🥬 Result
You get tender, flavorful Stuffed cabbage roll—soft cabbage, juicy filling, and rich tomato sauce that soaks into every bite.
⭐ Tips for best texture
- Don’t overfill or rolls may burst
- Simmer low and slow for soft cabbage
- Rice absorbs flavor while cooking inside
If you want, I can also give you:
- Turkish-style (with mint + lemon)
- Middle Eastern spiced version
- or oven-baked casserole-style cabbage rolls (no rolling required)
