This recipe was one my grandmother made for us often and I absolutely LOVED! I made these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls early on in the life of this blog but I wanted to see if I could do better. I made the tomato soup from scratch (and you can find that recipe here). It came out even better than the first time! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
Partially boil the head of cabbage just enough until you can gently peel away each layer INTACT. I find that if you cut the core out of the whole head, the pieces come off better. Do not overcook. The leaves should be crisp still, but pliable. Drain on a paper or kitchen towel. Repeat until the whole cabbage is done. Only use the biggest, best leaves.
Mix together all ingredients for the rolls and add ½ C of the sauce mixture to help bind. Place an amount of the mixture proportionate to the leaf in the center. Do not overfill.
Roll, tucking in the ends like an egg roll. If necessary, you can use a toothpick to hold them together, but BE SURE to remove before serving! Repeat with all cabbage leaves.
Place all of the finished rolls into a large sauce pot or a crock pot, stacking largest to smallest.
Add all of the sauce to cover. If needed, you can add some additional vegetable broth or water.
Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour until sauce is bubbling, cabbage leaves are more translucent and filling is hot inside.
We always served these with mashed potatoes and/or soft rolls like these. Someone once asked me how many rolls this makes or how many people it serves and it really depends. As you can see, it fills an entire dutch oven. I usually serve 2-3 per person depending on size. It will easily serve 4-6 people and if there are leftovers, the good news is that these freeze extremely well! I like to freeze them in portions and take out as I want them. So good!
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls {Vegan}
Ingredients
- FOR THE SAUCE: This is our Homestyle Chunky Cream of Tomato Soup Recipe
- 28 oz . can of Diced Tomatoes
- 6 oz . can of Tomato Paste
- 1 C Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tbl vegan Margarine such as Earth Balance
- 1 Small Onion diced
- 1 Tbl vegan Sugar
- 1/2 C Non-Dairy Creamer I use So Delicious Coconut Original Creamer
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- *
- FOR THE ROLLS:
- 1 medium Cabbage
- 1 C Veggie Crumbles
- 1/2 C cooked White Rice
- 1/4 cup minced Onion sauteed
- Mrs. Dash or similar seasonings, to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- NOTE: This is Homestyle Chunky Cream of Tomato Soup
- In a large saute pan, melt 1 Tbl of margarine and add the diced onions. Saute until soft and translucent.
- Add the diced tomatos with sauce and the vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomato paste and taste again for seasoning. I like to add a tablespoon of sugar to balance out the bitterness.
- Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the creamer and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- TO PREPARE THE CABBAGE LEAVES:
- Partially boil the head of cabbage just enough until you can gently peel away each layer INTACT.
- I find that if you cut the core out of the whole head, the pieces come off better. Do not overcook. The leaves should be crisp still, but pliable. Drain on a paper or kitchen towel. Repeat until the whole cabbage is done. Only use the biggest, best leaves.
- FOR THE FILLING:
- Mix together all ingredients for the rolls and add ½ C of the sauce mixture to help bind.
- Place an amount of the mixture proportionate to the leaf in the center.
- Do not overfill. Roll, tucking in the ends like an egg roll. If necessary, you can use a toothpick to hold them together, but BE SURE to remove before serving! Repeat with all cabbage leaves.
- Place all of the finished rolls into a large sauce pot or a crock pot, stacking largest to smallest.
- Add all of the sauce to cover. If needed, you can add some additional vegetable broth or water.
- Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour until sauce is bubbling, cabbage leaves are more translucent and filling is hot inside.
shobelyn says
Hi! I am hosting my first ever Cunning Ladies’ Friday Party in my blog. I would love to see you add this beautiful post there. Love your pictures! http://easytocookmeals.com/cunning-ladies-friday-party/
Elizabeth says
I made this recipe and it come out fantastic. I did add a few more spices and I found that when I put a lid on it the leave bubbled up and opened up. I caught it before too many open, but it was great. Thanks for the recipe. It was really easy.
aimee says
Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you tried the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. I would reduce the heat next time and stagger them so there is room for the sauce o boil around them. Also be sure to roll them as tight as possible. For the smaller ones I’ll add a toothpick, but you have to remember to remove them prior to serving!! 🙂 I still always have a few that open a bit, sometimes I just mix the broken pieces into the sauce 🙂
Barb says
Use uncooked spaghetti instead of toothpicks. When the cabbage rolls are cooked, so is the spaghetti!
Monica says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Does the completely cooked roll freeze well? Please advise. (Single person)
aimee says
Hi Monica! Yes, it really does freeze well. As a fellow single person, I usually freeze them in sets of two with some sauce. Makes a wonderful dinner. I hope you try it. If you do, please stop back and let me know what you think 🙂
Laura says
I am making this tomorrow night but I live in Italy and am not able to find the veggie crumbles! is there something else I can add or can i just leave that out??
Laura
aimee says
Hi Laura, I think you could either add more rice or maybe add some chopped mushrooms instead. I also always chop the remaining cabbage and add that in too. They will still be delicious 🙂
Kelly says
How about lentils?
aimee says
Lentils would make a perfect substitution! Thanks Kelly 🙂
Laura says
thank you!
Melanie says
Do you have to cook the crumbles before putting them in the cabbage leaf? or does it cook while simmering in the sauce? how many servings does this make?
aimee says
Hi Melanie! While the manufacturer’s of most vegan crumbles recommend cooking them prior to using, I just thaw them and put them right in this dish. Once rolled in the cabbage leaves, they will be cooking in the liquid for nearly an hour. Plenty of time to heat through. You could always saute them in a small amount of oil prior to combining with the rest of the ingredients. Either way works. Some readers have omitted the crumbles all together and used just rice and chopped up vegetables along with the remaining cabbage leaves. Additionally, one reader substituted lentils. So there are definitely options.
The recipe makes quite a few. It really depends on how large a cabbage you get and how many usable leaves. I think I bought a medium head of cabbage and got around 12-16 if I remember correctly. Any remaining filling can be added right to the sauce! The best part is that they freeze amazingly well. I portion them out, add some sauce and freeze 2-3 rolls per serving. Defrost and just reheat in the microwave. Hope that helps! 🙂
Charlotte says
Instead of crumbles, or in addition, you can use cauliflower. Used in rice size pieces, they help give that groung beef texture. I use them, often with lentils, for this delicious recipe as well as tacos. Picky husband and son love it!
Aya says
Plan to try this tonight! Just wanted to say, for those concerned about faux meats or availability, I go with lentils, or homemade sriram minced. Works great! Tell ya how it goes tomorrow!
aimee says
Those are great suggestions! Thank you 🙂
Jeannie says
I had some left over home made black bean burgers that were a bit to mushy for burgers so I added rice and a few onions worked out great!
Tiffany says
These are awesome! For the filling, I used veggie crumbles, onion, brown rice, kale, and several spices. They came out perfect and are so delicious. My family thanks you, lol!
Patricia says
How many servings does this make?
aimee says
Hi Patricia, this is hard to say because it really depends on how big the leaves of cabbage are. I can tell you that you will have enough to fill a 4-5 quart stock pot with all of the finished cabbage rolls. At LEAST 4-6 servings of 2-3 rolls each. They freeze really well, so I always match a whole batch.
Mary says
Aimee….so glad I found this recipe…my husband love cabbage rolls. Since “I’ve” gone vegan, he has not had them in a LONG time!! What is the time frame for using a slow cooker?? Thanks, Mary
aimee says
Hi Mary, I hesitate to give you an exact amount of time because my mom and I have both done these in a slow cooker on high – mine, 2-3 hours. Hers…4-5 hours. So obviously, it depends on your slow cooker. I like to keep them in there on warm until I am ready to serve. I would just say, keep an eye on them after about 2 hours or so. I’ve also substituted the fillings. Sometimes I use vegan crumbles, sometimes mushrooms…get creative and use what you like 🙂 I would love to hear how they turn out for you!
Lisa S. says
Super excited…. currently making the vegan version for myself while the bf makes his with ground beef! Can’t wait!
Eddie B says
Tried a stuffed cabbage batch yesterday using riced cauliflower, minced mushrooms (baby bellas), minced chickpeas, yellow rice, spices,egg sub…rolled that up in the leaves and cooked in an instant pot with V8, lemon juice, sugar for 10 minutes. Wife loved it.
Joyce says
Thank you for this recipe. We loved it! We are from Eastern European descent and would call these halupki’s, but our family recipes use ground beef. This is perfect for those who do not eat meat.
aimee says
Hi Joyce, we call them Halupki in my family too! My grandmother always made these for us with ground beef and I am always experimenting with meatless options. I am so glad you like the recipe 🙂
Jpenny says
Hello! I loved these. I remember my grandmother making them too. My question is, how far in advance can I prepare these? I am planning to make for Passover for our vegan friends.
aimee says
If you cook them, you can always freeze them. I wouldn’t roll them up and stick them in the refrigerator without cooking them. They freeze and reheat really, really well. Hope that helps! 🙂
Laurie says
I am also planning on making these for Passover using the veggie crumbles. I want to prepare them the day before, and refrigerate over night. I’ve made cabbage rolls with ground beef and half cooked brown rice, but then cooked them in the oven for about 90 minutes. They came out fabulously.
Owen Hirtle says
Emergency may this recipe came out fantastic was wondering if it was possible to find out how many calories per cabbage roll. Used vegi crumbles
aimee says
While we are working to add nutrition to all of our recipes, we aren’t there yet. What I could suggest in the meantime is to use the very same calculator we do and use the veggie crumble info from the back of your bag. Here is the link. Just add your ingredients, number of rolls it made for you and you’ll get the result! https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Jennifer says
Can these be baked in the oven instead ?