Stuffed cabbage leaves is the ultimate comfort food. Easy ground meat and rice filling wrapped in cabbage leaves, topped with flavorful tomato sauce and baked to tender perfection!
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves are my favorite childhood food. They could be a little tedious to make (that’s why I prefer to double the recipe for delicious leftovers!) but they are most definitely comfort food.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are Traditionally Made with Rice
Traditionally, stuffed cabbage rolls are made with white rice. White because in the Slavic countries, white rice was the cheapest available and most prevalent in Soviet markets. And also because it made a great filler for the stuffing and much cheaper than meat.
Generally, I try to limit our grain consumption but when not on a healing diet like GAPS, we relish healthy, soaked grains such as millet, buckwheat and of course rice.
This recipe is perfect for leftover rice from earlier in the week. See my post on how to get the most perfect rice in the Instant Pot (soaked and not soaked!).
How to Cook Cabbage for Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
You may find it surprising that you have to parboil the cabbage leaves prior to rolling them up with filling. Otherwise the leaves are simply too hard to roll and will be prone to breaking and cracking.
There are two ways to cook the cabbage leaves enough to soften them for rolling. No matter the method used, you want to end up with 12 medium-large size cooked cabbage leaves.
Regardless of the method of cooking, you will still have to cut off the tough rib off the bottom of each leaf with a paring knife in order to be able to roll smoothly.
Method #1: Cooking leaves separately
Carve out the bottom core part of the cabbage head and carefully separate the leaves, being careful not to tear. Cook the leaves in a pot of boiling water (two leaves at a time) for 2 minutes. Remove leaves from boiling water using tongs, and place them in a colander to drain excess water. Continue with the rest of the leaves.
This method has a bonus benefit as you will have the inner leaves of the cabbage uncooked and perfect for a salad such as Avocado Cabbage Slaw and Cucumber Cabbage Salad.
Method #2: Cooking head of cabbage
Remove the root end of the cabbage. Submerge entire head of cabbage into a pot of boiling water and cook on medium-high heat. It may help to rotate the cabbage as it will tend to rise to the surface of the water, exposing one side to the air.
If you notice the outer leaves are becoming fully cooked, remove them carefully (directly from the pot) using tongs or two forks and set aside, letting the inner cabbage leaves to continue to cook. This should take about 12-15 minutes.
Helpful Tips for Healthy Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:
- Double the recipe and freeze a batch in a freezer-safe casserole dish such as this ONE.
- If it helps, make the recipe in phases. For example, cook the rice in the Instant Pot earlier in the week. This recipe is perfect for leftover rice from taco dinners or curry leftovers. Make the tomato sauce base in the morning, with plenty of time for it to cool down.
- For best flavor, cook onions and carrots rather than just throwing them raw into the meat mixture. Slightly cooking them will also release some of the juices and won’t make the cabbage rolls as watery. You will use half of this tomato sauce in the meat mixture and half to spoon over the rolled cabbage leaves.
Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish)
Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish)
Easy ground meat and rice filling wrapped in cabbage leaves, topped with flavorful tomato sauce and baked to tender perfection.
Ingredients
Vegetable Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, ghee, or another high heat fat
- 1 cup yellow onion (1/2 onion) chopped
- 1 cup carrot (1 large carrot) grated
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
Filling Mixture
- 2 cups white rice cooked
- 1 lb. ground meat chicken, beef, pork
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small cabbage
Instructions
Vegetable Tomato Sauce
Melt cooking fat over medium-high heat. Saute onions until translucent. Add grated carrots and saute until softened for about 3 minutes.
Add tomato sauce and cook for additional 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling Mixture
In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, 1/2 of vegetable tomato sauce, ground meat of choice, egg, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper.
Mix well to incorporate everything. Set aside.
Parboiling Cabbage Leaves
- Place the cabbage head in a large stock pot and cover with water. Set on medium heat and slightly cook the outer leaves of cabbage, rotating it occasionally.
As the leaves start turning bright green, carefully pull them off from the cabbage head with a small paring knife.
Remove the rough rib on the bottom with a paring knife to make rolling easier.
How to Roll and Cook the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 1/3 cup of filling mixture on the bottom part of the leaf and wrap it in this order: fold in the bottom side first completely covering the meat filling; turn in both sides; bring up the bottom of the leaf making sure the ends are tucked in and roll the cabbage roll tightly.
Transfer to a 9"x13" baking dish.
Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the rolls and spread evenly.
If the casserole dish doesn't have a lid, cover first with a parchment paper then foil to seal edges well.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake for additional 7 minutes followed by 3 minutes of high broil.
Enjoy immediately with a dollop of sour cream or plain.
Recipe Notes
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Need More Healthy Dinner Ideas:
Keto Chicken Cabbage Casserole (Low Carb, GAPS, Primal)
Instant Pot Whole30 White Chicken Chili (Low Carb, Paleo, Keto)
Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
This recipe looks so satisfying and savory! I wish I could spoon myself a helping right outta the computer! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Andrea. They are a family favorite for sure.