Growing up in a Russian household involved eating lots and lots of delicious foods, and one of my favorite dishes was and still is stuffed cabbage rolls.

Cabbage rolls are a time consuming dish to make, and when I was younger, I had the luxury of my grandparents and parents cooking them for me. All I had to do was shoot someone my signature puppy dog eyes and beg a little bit. I didn’t realize until much later how much effort these rolls really take.

When I finally started making them myself, I immediately felt a newfound appreciation for all the cabbage rolls my family had cooked for me in the past.

Recently, I asked my mom to show me how she makes cabbage rolls. We sat down together, rolled meat into cabbage leaves, and chatted about our lives. It was a therapeutic way to spend the afternoon. If you make these rolls, I suggest assembling a team of 1-2 other people to join you and bask in the joy of cooking a dish together with the people you love.

My personal favorite way to top these rolls is with a generous dollop of sour cream and some salt and cracked black pepper. Simple and delicious.

Many people cook their cabbage rolls with tomato paste, which I include as an option in the recipe, but my mom prefers them without it. If you don’t mind the taste of tomatoes, I recommend adding it for another layer of delicious flavor.

Before we get into the recipe, here’s a video that details a method of rolling cabbage rolls. My method is a bit different; I follow a burrito-folding approach, but this method is more traditional. I tried my best to explain the process in words below, but as a visual learner myself, I’m sure people will appreciate the reference.

Ingredients

Cabbage Roll Ingredients

1 lb Ground beef
1 lb Ground turkey
2 cups Cooked white rice
1 head Cabbage
1 medium White onion diced
3 cloves Garlic chopped
4 large Carrots peeled, grated
1 32 fl. oz. container Chicken or vegetable broth sub water

Spices

2 tsp Garlic powder
Salt & pepper
1 tsp Paprika
4-5 Bay leaves

Toppings

Sour cream
Salt & pepper
Red chili flakes optional
Fresh dill optional

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together 1lb ground beef, 1 lb ground turkey, 2 cups cooked white rice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, salt, and pepper. When fully combined, set aside.
Wash cabbage well, cut the core out as best as you can, and bring water to a boil in a large pot. Place the cabbage into boiling water and let it sit for 3-4 mins so that it can soften. Once it has softened, take it out of the water.
When it has cooled down a bit, carefully pull the leaves away from the stalk making sure not to rip them
Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté chopped onion, garlic, and shredded carrots in a pan until onions are golden (about 5-7 mins). Season with salt and pepper.
Start assembling cabbage rolls. Take a cabbage leaf and cut the rib down a bit so that it’s easier to roll up. Put about 2 tbsp of the meat filling towards the bottom of the cabbage leaf, and roll it up like a burrito. (Tuck the bottom in, then each side, then roll completely.)
Repeat this until you’ve used all of your cabbage leaves and meat filling. If there is extra filling, make mini meatballs.
Into a large pot, add some of the sautéed onion and carrot mixture in a single, even layer. Place the cabbage rolls on top in a single layer. Add the onion and carrot mixture in a second layer, and place your next layer of cabbage rolls on top. Continue to layer like this until you use all of the cabbage rolls and sautéed veggies. If incorporating tomato paste, place a few dollops on each layer of onion and carrots as you go.
Fill the pot with water or broth until the cabbage rolls are completely submerged. Add bay leaves.
Cook on medium/high heat for about 40 mins or until the meat is fully cooked.
Serve with sour cream, fresh dill, and red chili flakes if you want a bit of spice!

Hello, I'm Nicole!

Russian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls