Description
These Vegan Cabbage Rolls are stuffed with rice, lentils and veggies, making them a healthy and filling meal that's packed with flavor and nutrients. They're a vegetarian twist on a classic cabbage roll.
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1 large head green or savoy cabbage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
- 3/4 cup shredded carrot
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup cooked white rice (1/3 cup dry)
- 1 15 ounce can no salt added lentils, rinsed and drained well
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 175˚C and bring a large pot of water to a boil (large enough to fit the cabbage). Core the cabbage with a pairing knife by making 4 incisions to cut out a pyramid-shaped piece of the thickest part of the core.
- While you wait for the water to boil, cook the rice according to package directions.
- Add oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, carrot, parsley, rice, lentils, Italian seasoning blend, salt, and pepper. Set the rice and lentil mixture aside for now.
- To prepare the sauce, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring throughout, then pour in tomato sauce and red wine vinegar. Add in parsley, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, making sure to flip the cabbage halfway through. Remove the cabbage from the boiling water and move to a large bowl filled with ice for 2 minutes. This will halt the cooking process. After 2 minutes, move cabbage to a colander and let it drain for 10 minutes.
- Gently pull off 12 leaves and pat each one dry. Remove thickest part of each leaf by cutting a V-shaped portion of the leaf out (see picture in blog post).
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to each leaf and roll them up, folding the sides over the filling (like a burrito). (Photo tutorial in blog post.)
- Reserve ⅓ cup of sauce and spread the rest of the sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Lay the cabbage rolls seam side down in the pan and pack them together tightly so they don’t unroll while baking. Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
Make ahead: It's super easy to prep the rice mixture and the sauce in advance, then refrigerate them until you're ready eat. You can then prep, stuff, and cook the cabbage.
Easy to freeze: You can prep everything, then freeze the finished rolls in an airtight container along with the sauce. Let them thaw out overnight, and then cook them the next day.
Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cabbage: We used green cabbage in this recipe, since its leave are more pliable and easy to roll up than the leaves of a purple cabbage. If you can't find a nice green cabbage, you could also try savoy cabbage.
Rice: We used fully cooked white rice, but you can also use brown rice.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It may vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Vegan Main Dishes
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 cabbage rolls
- Calories: 373
- Sugar: 23.5 g
- Sodium: 834.9 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.1 g
- Fiber: 9.6 g
- Protein: 9.2 g
