Stuffed cabbage rolls – delicious vegetarian or vegan entrée

It’s time to rethink cabbage rolls! This is a wonderfully adaptable recipes that makes a splendid meat-free meal or can be served as a side, or even appetiser.

Unlike traditional cabbage rolls, these are light and fresh, plus they are quick to cook. Preparation is easy too. You can vary the ingredients to suit your own tastes – for example,I often add garlic and chopped, fresh basil to the tomato sauce. By the way, I use canned tomatoes but these would be even tastier using your own favourite homemade tomato sauce recipe or even a bought tomato-ey pasta sauce.

You can improvise with the stuffing too,depending on what ingredients you have available.

This is tasty enough to be comfort food but at the same time, perfectly elegant enough for a meat-free dinner party meal. The recipe contains no animal products but if you do eat dairy, or use a good vegan cheese, I like to sprinkle cheese on top when serving. It get’s delightfully melted because of the heat of the sauce.

If you’re cooking this for a mix of people – some who eat dairy and others who don’t- serve the cheese on the side so your guests can help themselves.

The recipe below serves two as a main meal – that’s about a dozen rolls.

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls: Vegetarian recipe

Rating  5 from 1 reviews

Serves: 2 as a main meal

Ingredients

• 12 - 14 leaves from a small green cabbage, washed
• ½ cup uncooked rice
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 6 - 8 dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 slice wholemeal bread, crumbed
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• ⅛ teaspoon Marmite
• Fresh black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• Olive oil
• Grated cheese or Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. Set a full kettle to boil.
2. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak the rice.
3. Add a little olive oil to a frying pan and soften the onion over a medium heat.
4. Cook until golden.
5. Add the cabbage leaves to a large pan, pour boiling water over leaves and boil the on stove for about a minute.
6. Strain the water from the cabbage leaves and place them on a plate or chopping board.
7. Stir the Marmite into the onions. Remove from the heat and add to a large bowl.
8. Add the crumbed bread, pine nuts, apricots, nutmeg and pepper.
9. Drain the soaking rice and add tothe bowl.Combine all ingredients well.
10. Cut away the hard spines of the cabbage leaves.
11. Put a spoonful of the stuffing mixture onto each leaf and roll. (See photograph below) Don't roll them too tightly.
12. Place them in the frying pan you used for the onion.
13. Pour the contents of the can of tomatoes over, add black pepper and bring to a boil.
14. Simmer for about fifteen minutes or until the rice is cooked.
15. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled over if desired.

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Remove the hard spine to make the leaves easier to roll:

Place stuffing on each cabbage leaf:

Roll from the cut edge, tucking in the ends:

The gorgeous greens:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. You can see a wide range of articles here, or visit her website Tastes Magazine. See The Writer’s Door for more information.