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Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish)

03/15/2016 8 Comments

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Tagged With: budget friendly, cabbage, carrots, ground meat, kid friendly, nut free, onions, paleo, rice, tomato sauce

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! 

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

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!). 

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

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.

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

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. 

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

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) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish)

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy
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4.34 from 3 votes

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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Budget Friendly, Dairy Free, Freezer Friendly, Kid Friendly, Nut Free, Paleo
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12 rolls
Calories 278kcal
Author Anya @ Prepare & Nourish

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. 

Notes

| Nutrition Information Disclaimer |

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2010IU | Vitamin C: 31.4mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.8mg

If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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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)

alt=”Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) – 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy” width=”600″ height=”900″>

Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Paleo-ish) - 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! #cabbage #paleo #healthy

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)

Related posts:

  1. Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cabbage Steaks (Keto, GAPS, Low-Carb)
  2. Meatball Soup Recipe (Whole30)
  3. Low-Carb Cabbage Cucumber Salad (Paleo, Keto, GAPS) +VIDEO
  4. Lazy Cabbage Rolls (Paleo, Low-Carb, Whole30, Keto) VIDEO
  5. Avocado Cabbage Slaw (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30) +VIDEO
  6. Healthy Potato Salad Recipe (Whole30, Paleo)

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: budget friendly, cabbage, carrots, ground meat, kid friendly, nut free, onions, paleo, rice, tomato sauce

About Anya

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrea Wyckoff

    03/19/2016 at

    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!

    Reply
    • Anya

      03/19/2016 at

      Thank you Andrea. They are a family favorite for sure.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Lazy Cabbage Rolls (Paleo, Low-Carb, Whole30, Keto) VIDEO - Prepare & Nourish says:
    09/04/2018 at

    […] reason this recipe is such a winner is because it is chock full of vegetables. My Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves call for rice (cooked in bone broth, no else!) and is typically found in most cabbage rolls. To […]

    Reply
  2. Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cabbage Steaks (Keto, GAPS, Low-Carb) - Prepare & Nourish says:
    09/04/2018 at

    […] Growing up, cabbage was a staple in our kitchen.  Russian cuisine abounds with cabbage recipes:  Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and Borsch that calls for shredded cabbage and various cabbage salads like this Cabbage & […]

    Reply
  3. Bacon Avocado Jalapeño Poppers (Keto, GAPS) - Prepare & Nourish says:
    09/06/2018 at

    […] Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves […]

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  4. Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad - Prepare & Nourish says:
    09/06/2018 at

    […] Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves […]

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  5. Gluten-Free Cabbage & Potato Recipes :: keto, paleo, Whole30 says:
    02/07/2020 at

    […] Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage from Prepare & Nourish […]

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  6. 25+ Healthy Meals With Ground Beef (From Chili To Burgers!) says:
    02/24/2020 at

    […] Healthy Classic Stuffed Cabbage Leaves — The ultimate comfort food! Simple beef and rice (or cauliflower rice) filling wrapped in cabbage leaves and baked to perfection. Top with a dollop of sour cream or skip to keep it dairy-free. […]

    Reply

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