Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage can be pretty underappreciated. I know many who grumble at the very thought. I find it versatile. Egg rolls? There's cabbage in there. Coleslaw? There's cabbage in there! And let's not forget sauerkraut and kinchi (though Napa cabbage in the last one). Sautéed cabbage also goes quite well with many dishes.

Stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage were common occurrences in my home growing up. They were simply made, meat and rice wrapped in cabbage and topped with a tomato sauce.

Cabbage has been recorded since at least 4,000 BC, with that being around the time it was brought to America.

The leafy vegetable has a very rich history, being used in various countries around the world in dishes. Here is a great read on some cabbages' roots. (Get it?)

Even better than the varied history are the health benefits. Related more to cauliflower than lettuce, cabbage is packed with Vitamin C and many others. It's a light dish, so if you enjoy the flavor, it's a great one to swap out with less healthy sides.

I'll admit, I was feeling lazy when I made this. I was hoping for a workaround, but it just wasn't meant to be. The leaves need to be softened to roll them up. So I got out a big pot, boiled some water, and dunked the whole cabbage head in. I let it cook for about 15 minutes, and as I learned when I blanched vegetables, the cabbage turned a beautiful bright green color. Once it was softened, I placed the cabbage head into a large colander over the sink.

I decided to make the recipe with ground turkey, and browned some in a pan. Once it was done, I removed the meat from the pan and placed it in a medium bowl. I then melted some butter in the pan and stirred in some onion and minced garlic, letting it sauté for a few minutes. Then I stirred in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Growing up, my mom and grandma always served cabbage with apple cider vinegar, so this is a flavor I'm familiar with and find quite comforting. I let the sauce simmer

Separately, I made some white rice. In a bowl, I mixed the meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, egg, parsley, and a few scoops of the tomato sauce together until well combined.

To make the rolls, I laid out a leaf of cabbage and scooped about 1/4 cup of the mixture in the center. Then, I folded in the side an rolled the cabbage leaf up.

I placed each of the cabbage rolls into a baking dish.

After using all the leaves and the meat mixture, I spread the tomato sauce over the top and placed them in the oven for about an hour. After cooking, I sprinkled some fresh parsley on top.

This was even better than the dish I remembered. My family commonly used tomato soup for a sauce growing up - often for budget, but I've no doubt some nostalgia was in there too - and so when I make these recipe again and change up the ingredients, I often find myself overwhelmed with the fresh take.

This recipe was no exception. The flavorful tomato sauce added so much to the soft cabbage. This made for an excellent dinner.

The addition of the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar did not go unnoticed. It added a level of depth to the flavor of the sauce, one that made these little rolls irresistible. Though normally I'd cook up a side, I honestly found the rolls themselves to be quite enough. If I were to make a recommendation: mashed potatoes, all the way. There's nothing wrong with going a bit carb crazy with rice and potatoes every now and again. and a side like that means taking full advantage of that sauce.

10/10, will make again.

Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 half of an onion) (optional)

1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg

For the tomato sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)

15 ounce can tomato paste (6 ounces)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Heat a large pot of water to boil. Add head of cabbage and cook for 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet, cook ground beef for 7-10 minutes over medium heat, chopping meat into small pieces while cooking. Remove from pan and set aside in a medium bowl. In the same pan, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Heat to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl with the meat, add more chopped onion, garlic, rice, egg, 2 tablespoons of parsley salt and pepper. Mix until combined. To make the cabbage rolls, lay out one of the cabbage leaves. Spoon in about 1/4 cup of the meat and rice mixture. Fold the sides of the leaves in, then roll the cabbage up tightly. In a large baking dish, spray non-stick cooking spray and add a thin layer of the tomato sauce. Place the cabbage rolls on top, packed snugly together with the seams on the bottom to hold the cabbage roll closed. Once all the rolls are placed, top with remaining sauce. Place in the oven and bake for about one hour. After cooking, sprinkle with remaining parsley.

adapted from stuffed cabbage rolls