March has certainly come in with a lion’s roar this year. Snow, ice, gusting arctic blasts, plummeting temperatures… you get the idea. The kind of weather only a comforting bowl of something hearty and warm will cure. Enter cabbage rolls.. humble and peasantry and hugging your chilled bones as if you’ve been enveloped by a kerchiefed grandmother insisting you have yet another helping.
Suffice to say cabbage rolls have found a welcome spot in our winter-resurgence menu. {btw, February, I never thought I’d say this but I miss you.} This vegan-friendly version of a classic Eastern European dish has a filling of seasoned vegetables and tofu and is baked in a simple tomato based sauce. We like them served with rice on the side, but many recipes call for the grain in the filling, and you can certainly adjust this recipe and add some cooked rice to the filling if you so desire.
Oh, and I wanted to say thank you to you all for your responses to when I posted the step-by-step of this recipe on my Instagram story. It seemed well received by you all and I will continue sharing live recipes of other simple dishes we prepare.
Kaity xx
More Vegan Dinner Ideas
- Vegan Bao Buns with Hoisin Mushrooms and Quick-Pickled Vegetables
- Vegan Thai Noodle Bowls
- Baked Vegan Ricotta and Kale Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Thyme Pangritata
- Vegan Squash Blossom Tacos
- Spring Vegan Risotto
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi
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Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 leaves green or savoy cabbage large outer leaves
- 1 large sweet onion peeled and halved
- 2 medium carrots peeled and trimmed
- 1/2 large sweet red pepper seeds removed
- 1/2 large green sweet pepper seeds removed
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic divided
- 8 oz extra firm tofu pressed if needed
- 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper halved
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt halved
- 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari
- 1 pound tomatoes campari or plum (or 16oz. canned diced tomatoes)
- 3 leaves bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil and add a large pinch of sea salt to the pot. Carefully remove 6 large outer leaves from a head of cabbage. Blanch cabbage leaves in salted boiling water for 4 minutes then strain and rinse under cold running water. Set cabbage aside while you prepare the filling.
- Mince 1/2 of sweet onion, carrots, peppers, and 1 clove of garlic in a food processor.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and then sauté minced veggies until translucent and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, caraway, fennel, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook for another minute or so until mushrooms are browned and transfer veggies to a mixing bowl.
- Crumble tofu in food processor (no need to clean the bowl beforehand). Add crumbled tofu to veggies along with tamari. Taste filling for seasoning and add more salt or tamari if needed.
- Divide filling into 6 equal portions. Working with one cabbage leaf at a time fill and roll them up burrito-style, tucking the side closest to you up and over the filling then folding in the sides and rolling away from you. Tuck the filled rolls together into a baking dish.
- Purée tomatoes, remaining 1/2 of onion and garlic in food processor (again no need to clean bowl first). Stir 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil into purée.
- Pour mixture over cabbage rolls and tuck bay leaves into the sauce. Drizzle tops with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Place baking dish onto a foil lined baking sheet to catch any drippings.
- Cover cabbage rolls with foil and bake at 425˚F for 30-35 minutes until the sauce in bubbling. At this point remove foil and sprinkle nutritional yeast over cabbage rolls and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Serve cabbage rolls hot over white or brown rice.
Notes
- Left overs will keep covered and refrigerated for 2 days. Heat to serve.
haweli
I would like to try this food recipe next week. I used to eat meat filled stuffed cabbage but now since becoming a vegetarian, I would love to try this out. https://hawelicanada.com/
Kaity Farrell
Thank you Haweli! That is so wonderful to hear and I hope you like this recipe! xx Kaity
Kaity Farrell
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Cheryl
I really enjoyed this! I feel it needs 1.5 the amount of tofu with increased soy sauce. Using the food processor was really helpful.
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your feedback!