Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls with Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls have a savory wild rice and mushroom stuffing, are topped with a rich tomato sauce, and baked until tender.

Traditional cabbage rolls, or Golubtsi,  are usually filled with either pork or beef, rice and various spices. To make my version plant based, we use a mixture of wild rice and mushrooms as the filling. 

The rice is nutty, the mushrooms add umami, and a handful of herbs make this filling sing!

This mixture gets rolled in cabbage leaves, smothered in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, and baked to perfection.

Reasons to love this recipe!

• An easy trick makes the cabbage leaves easy to roll! (More on this below.)
• A healthy meal made with whole grains and veggies! Naturally vegan and gluten free.
• It can be prepped ahead and baked just before serving.
• They make amazing leftovers!

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Wild rice mix - double check that yours is gluten free, if needed
• Olive oil
• Onion - yellow, red, or white
• Garlic
• Mushrooms - button, crimini, shiitake, or a combo
• Red pepper flakes - optional, for a bit of spice
• Dry herbs - thyme and basil
• Salt and pepper
• Savoy cabbage - savoy tends to have thinner, more tender, and easier to remove leaves. You can also use green or purple cabbage. Or even collard greens or swiss chard!

For the sauce:

• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste - adds great richness and depth of flavor to the sauce!
• Dry spices - garlic powder, basil, thyme, smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable broth - or water

How to make Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls:

Make the filling: Cook the wild rice and sauté the onion, mushrooms and garlic until caramelized. Stir in the spices and set aside.

Make the sauce: Bring all the sauce ingredients to a gentle simmer. Add ½ cup of the sauce to the filling. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce.

Stuff and bake: Stuff cabbage leaves (see below for tips to soften!) with the filling, roll like a burrito, and line them up in your baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and bake until tender.

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How to prep your cabbage leaves

The toughest part of this recipe is prepping the cabbage leaves. It can be tricky to remove them from the head without tearing them, and if not softened, they are a bear to roll!

Follow these steps for easy rolling:

Choose savoy cabbage: This type of cabbage is naturally softer, making this process easier. It is available in most stores. Look for the characteristic ridged leaves.

Remove leaves: To remove the cabbage leaves from the head, turn the cabbage over and cut around the core, angling your knife inward, to remove it. Gently peel cabbage leaves off, starting at the bottom.

The freezer trick: If you have time, the night before, place the entire head of cabbage in the freezer. The next morning, remove it from the freezer and place it on the counter to thaw. Once thawed, the leaves should peel right off!

How to soften: Place your cabbage leaves in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a plate on top of the cabbage to weigh it down, fully submerging it in the water. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften.

Cut out the ribs: Lastly, we need to remove the thickest part of the rib for easy rolling. Lay the softened cabbage leaf on a cutting board and use a pairing knife to cut out the thick bottom portion of the rib.

To see these steps in action, check out the step-by-step video!

Storage?

Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Freezer: You can freeze cabbage rolls, but it's best to freeze unbaked rolls since the freezer can alter the flavor and texture after baking.

Wrap a baking dish of prepped, but unbaked, cabbage rolls tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before baking.

More cabbage recipes!

• Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Cold Sesame Noodle Salad with Cabbage
• Homemade Veggie Sushi Rolls
• Vegan Summer Rolls

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