Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls (with a Holiday Inspired Filling)
When planning our holiday meal this year, we know that these Savoy cabbage rolls stuffed with mushrooms, onions, sage, sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, and wild rice will be on the menu! They are a great focal point for a vegetarian (or vegan) meal and make an incredible tasty side for a traditional turkey, roast beef, ham, or duck dinner.
Our philosophy is to buy the freshest ingredients we can find, prepare them simply and share meals with our family and friends. Fortunately for us, Ontario grown cabbage, onions, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes are all available locally and in-season in December. They are actually available throughout most of the year!
This recipe was created in partnership with Produce Made Simple. Opinions in this post are my own.
I choose Savoy cabbage as the star for these cabbage rolls. It is a variety that is mild in flavour, very tender, easy to work with, and it does not hurt that their crinkly green leaves are pretty photogenic.
Growing up, I used to think that making cabbage rolls was a full day commitment because my aunt or baba would make dozens at a time. But when you just make 12, the prep time is minimal and while the cabbage rolls are cooking, it leaves time to wrap a few gifts. Make them a couple of days in advance, keep them refrigerated, and warm them up to reduce the stress of the big day.
Watch how this recipe for vegetarian cabbage rolls was made here.
Cabbage Nutrition
Cabbage is delicious and nutritious! According to the Canadian Nutrient File, 100 g of raw cabbage contains the following amounts (according to the daily requirements of the Canadian food guide): 100% of vitamin C, 95% of vitamin K, 7% of fibre (1.8 g), 5% of magnesium, 5% of potassium, 4% of calcium, 3% of iron, and 42 µg of beta-carotene.
If you get the chance to try this recipe, please drop back and leave us a comment and rating. We would love to know what you think.
Cheers! James & Elaine
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls (with a Holiday Inspired Filling)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup wild rice blend cooked for half the total cooking time
- 1 large savoy cabbage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 6 ounces cremini Mushrooms sliced in half, then thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 packed cup grated sweet potato
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 packed tablespoons minced fresh sage
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for cabbage water add for seasoning onions
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 650 mL bottle of Passata divided
- 1 cup boiling water
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add rice and water as per package directions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer. Cook for half the total time indicated on the package. Transfer to a bowl to cool. (My rice blend requires 45 minutes to cook, so I cooked it for 22 minutes).
- Fill a stockpot halfway with salted water and bring to a boil.
- Using sharp knife, carefully remove the core from the cabbage.
- Gently lower the cabbage into the pot, core side down. Cover and cook until leaves are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl of ice water to chill.
- Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and set a few of them aside to cover the bottom of the pan and the top of the rolls while baking (I required 3 leaves for the bottom and 3 for the top). Working from core end, remove 12 leaves from the cabbage. (If leaves become difficult to remove, return the cabbage to the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes).
- Drain the leaves on a towel. Then trim the coarse veins running through the middle of each leaf. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil and warm through. Add onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the mushrooms, and thyme, stir to combine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cranberries, and sage, stir to combine. Add the rice, salt, and pepper to the skillet, mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place a cabbage leaf on a board. Spoon about ⅓ cup of the rice mixture onto the leaf, slightly above stem. Next fold the stem end, then bring in the sides and roll tight.
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with enough of the reserved outer leaves to cover the bottom. Then arrange the rolls, seam side down, in single layer on top.
- Pour 1 cup of the passata on top of the rolls, then pour over one cup of boiling water. Layer on the remaining reserved leaves, then tightly cover the dish with foil.
- Bake 75 to 90 minutes until the cabbage rolls feel mostly tender. Uncover, discard top leaves, pour over the remaining passata, and bake until completely tender, about 30 minutes.
- Serve with chopped parsley and enjoy!
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