- 1 lrg head of cabbage (approx. 3 lbs) or 2 smaller cabbages
- 4 cups Plant-Based Bolognese (approx. 1/2 of the recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
- 1/4 cup parsley, fresh or dried
- 1 cup strained tomatoes or canned tomato purée
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To start, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the cabbage, core-side down into the water, and cover the pot with a lid. Let the cabbage cook for about 10 minutes and then very carefully remove it from the water — use a strong lifter to remove the cabbage so that you don’t drop it back into the water and splash yourself. Save the cooking liquid and keep it on the heat while you prepare the cabbage.
Place the cabbage, core-side up, onto a rimmed baking tray. Once it is cool enough to handle, remove the leaves. The outer leaves will likely be a bit more beat up and torn, save those for placing over the top of the cabbage rolls before baking. If you find some of the leaves stuck to the core, use a paring knife to help cut them away. If you get to a point where the leaves seem too hard, place the cabbage back into the pot for a few minutes. Once you have 16 to 24 leaves, of the best looking leaves, remove the thicker part of the spine from the center of each leaf.
For the Plant-Based Bolognese be sure it is ready (and thawed if frozen). When ready, mix the bolognese together with the rice, parsley, strained tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
Once you have all of your mise en place ready, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 1 cup strained tomatoes or canned tomato purée
- 1/2 cup stock (or leftover cabbage water)
To roll the cabbage rolls, place about a 1/4 cup of the filling onto each leaf and then roll one-half turn, tuck in each side, and then continue to roll. Place the cabbage roll, seam-side down, into your baking dish. In terms of the baking pan used, almost any size will do, we typically use a 9 × 13 but a Dutch oven or anything with higher sides would also work.
If you cannot fit all the cabbage rolls in one layer, feel free to add a second layer — or use a second pan. Also, if you have gaps, fill them with extra cabbage leaves this will help to keep the cabbage rolls tight while they bake.
Once you are done rolling all of the cabbage leaves, mix together the strained tomatoes and stock and pour this mixture over the cabbage rolls. For the stock, use a good vegetable stock or use this Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder to make a quick stock.
Lastly, cover the cabbage rolls with a few extra cabbage leaves and then cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake the cabbage rolls for approximately 1 hour and then remove them from the oven and let them sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes, with the foil still on. This will allow them to still cook for a bit but then also cool down a bit, which will make them much nicer to eat.
Serve the cabbage rolls with a big dollop of Cashew Sour Cream, or your favorite topping and side. Popular sides include mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, roasted carrots, steamed broccoli or beans, or even a nice light salad.
Every family and culture has their own twist on this traditional dish, so feel free to experiment.
For example, strained sauerkraut is placed on top of the cabbage rolls before baking them is also very popular and delicious. Also, many recipes call for dill instead of parsley — ultimately, this comes down to personal preference and how you envision the final cabbage rolls to taste, especially if you are going off of a childhood memory.
Cabbage rolls can also be cooked on the stovetop. To do this, use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and place a few cabbage leaves down first and then proceed with the recipe as usual. Once you cover the pan with foil, bring the liquid to a quick boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 mins to an hour, or until the cabbage rolls are fork-tender. Check from time-to-time to ensure there is enough liquid in the pan — if needed, add a touch more liquid. Once done, allow to sit and rest for an additional 30 minutes with the heat off.