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.
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
Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls with Wild Rice Mushroom Stuffing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 105 minutes
- Total Time: 120 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Russian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Cabbage Rolls with Wild Rice Mushroom Stuffing are filled with an herbaceous mushroom and wild rice mixture and then smothered in a flavorful tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice mix
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, finely chopped
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 head savoy cabbage, leaves carefully removed
For the sauce:
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the wild rice according to the package directions.
- While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add in the onion and sauté, stirring often, until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Add in the garlic, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, thyme, basil, pepper, and salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Once cooked, stir in the rice.
- In a small saucepan add in all of the sauce ingredients. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix ½ cup of the sauce into the filling. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with a thin layer of sauce.
- Add the cabbage leaves to a large bowl. Fill the bowl with boiling water and cover the bowl with a plate, lid, or even a cookie tray. Let sit for 10 minutes so the cabbage softens and becomes easier to roll.
- Grab a cabbage leaf, shaking off the excess water and add 2-4 tablespoons of the filling mixture (more for larger leaves, less for smaller) to one end of the cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf up like a burrito, tucking in the sides. Line up filled and rolled leaves in the baking dish. Continue rolling and adding to the baking dish until all the leaves are filled.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the rolls are warmed through and leaves are tender. Enjoy!
Notes
For more traditional cabbage rolls, cover with foil while baking. For a more caramelized top, leave uncovered.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 rolls
- Calories: 216
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 974mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Hayley says
Hi! Looks great. But I have a ton of white (long-grain basmati) rice around the house. Do you think that could be used instead of the wild rice?
Laurel says
Hi Hayley, That should work! Since it's white rice, it might break down a little more than a whole grain rice, but the soup should still be delicious!
Sue Lawler says
I must say that the advertising is very disconcerting as too much, covers recipes and makes it not easy to read and or concentrate. The recipes are good but I don’t like the interference to read it.
Laurel says
Hi Sue, I totally agree! I have been working with my ad company to get some of these ads taken down. Which ads were the most interfering? I would love your feedback so I can create a better experience!
Maria says
Can I pre make this and freeze it??
Laurel says
Hi Maria, Yes! I haven't tried it myself, but I have heard from readers that this does work. A couple of tips: I would let the baking dish come room temp before baking to ensure it doesn't crack. You may also find that you need to bake the dish for a bit longer - I would check it at the 50 minute mark and then increase time as needed. If the leaves start to brown, you can cover it with some aluminum foil and keep cooking until warmed through :) Let me know if you have any questions!
Bridget says
Can this be made earlier in the day, kept in fridge, and then warmed in the oven before serving? Will the cabbage leaves brown?
Laurel says
Hi Bridget, it absolutely can! To prevent the cabbage leaves from browning, make sure to cover them well with the tomato sauce. You can also cover with foil when reheating. Happy cooking!
Siân says
Hi! I’m going to make this recipe tonight and wondered if the leftovers are ok to freeze?
Laurel says
Hi Siân! I haven't frozen any leftovers from this recipe yet, but I think it would work well :) Just thaw before reheating.
Nolani says
My husband was OBSESSED! The cabbage rolls were so fun to make. Made me feel all chefy and the result was gorgeous. I was able to sneak a few of these before my husband got his hands on them. Let's just say this was a winner!
Kenzie says
Cabbage Rolls... YUMMY! Love that I can make this ahead of time & bake later!
Leona says
So glad to finally see how it figure out to roll those pieces of cabbage! It is so much easier than I thought. So yummy! Thank you for your tips too.