Description
This Polish stuffed cabbage recipe is a hearty, comforting dish featuring tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a flavorful beef and rice filling, all bathed in a luscious roasted red pepper sauce. It simplifies a traditional dish for busy weeknights, offering a wholesome, family-friendly dinner with deep, comforting flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 kg ground beef
- 1.5 kg large green cabbage
- 200 g medium-grain white rice, uncooked
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 400 g roasted red peppers, from a jar
- 2 yellow onions, 1 finely diced, 1 remaining diced
- 6 cloves garlic, 3 minced for filling, 3 minced for sauce
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- smoked paprika, to taste (use 1 tsp for filling, some for sauce)
- dried marjoram, to taste
- 5 g ground sumac (1 tsp for filling, 1 tsp for crispy shallots)
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice (4 tbsp, 2 tbsp for filling)
- 1 large egg
- 30 ml vegetable oil (2 tbsp, for sauce)
- brown sugar, to taste
- bay leaves, 2-3
- fresh dill, for garnish
- fresh parsley, for garnish
- 250 ml vegetable oil (1 cup, for crispy shallots)
- 2–3 shallots, thinly sliced (for crispy shallots)
Instructions
- Prep The Cabbage: Carefully remove the core from the cabbage head. Submerge it in a large pot of boiling, salted water. As leaves soften (5-7 minutes), peel them off with tongs. Trim any thick veins; you want them pliable.
- Make The Filling: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, one finely diced onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, beaten egg, 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, smoked paprika, marjoram, 5 g (1 tsp) ground sumac, salt, and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly until just combined.
- Roll The Cabbage: Lay a prepared cabbage leaf flat. Place about 60-75 g (2-3 tbsp) of filling near the stem end. Fold in the sides snugly, then roll tightly from the stem end upwards, forming neat bundles.
- Prepare The Sauce: In a large oven-safe Dutch oven, heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil over medium heat. Saute the remaining diced onion until translucent (5-7 minutes). Add the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Stir in crushed tomatoes, pureed roasted red peppers, vegetable stock, brown sugar, remaining smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Arrange And Bake: Carefully nestle the stuffed cabbage rolls into the simmering sauce in the pot, arranging them snugly, seam-side down. Ensure they are mostly submerged. Cover the pot tightly and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until very tender and rice is cooked.
- Prepare Crispy Shallots: While rolls bake, heat 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry the thinly sliced shallots in batches until deeply golden brown and crisp (3-5 minutes per batch). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Toss immediately with 5 g (1 tsp) ground sumac and a pinch of salt.
- Finish And Rest: Remove the pot from the oven. Let the stuffed cabbage rolls rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes before serving. Remember to remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
If cabbage leaves tear, they can be patched or used for a ‘lazy’ deconstructed version. For a lighter version, quinoa can be swapped for rice. Resting the rolls for 15 minutes after baking allows flavors to meld and sauce to thicken. For a different herbal note, cilantro can be used when dill is unavailable.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 rolls (450 g)
- Calories: 650 calories
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
Keywords: polish, stuffed cabbage, comfort food, beef, rice, baked, red pepper sauce, weeknight dinner, traditional, hearty