Cabbage Rolls

Normally filled with a mixture of ground beef and rice, cabbage rolls are a staple in Eastern Europe and a favorite in many other countries. Try these vegetarian cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and vegetables for an equally tasty main course.
Yield 6 servings
Time 1 hour 45 minutes (mostly in the oven)
Tools
  • large pot
  • colander
  • sauce pan
  • wooden spoon
  • large frying pan
  • 9×13-inch baking dish (glass or ceramic)
  • small bowl
  • aluminum foil
Ingredients
  • 15 large or 30 small green cabbage leaves
  • ¼ c white vinegar
  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, diced
  • ½ c cooked lentils  or  mock meat, such as smoked tofu, seitan, mock ham, or mock pepperoni, diced
  • 2 c prepared Spanish rice*
  • 1 c tomato soup or tomato sauce**
  • ½ c water**
Directions Place cabbage in pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add vinegar, cover, and simmer until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell pepper, and lentils or mock meat; and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the Spanish rice.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking dish.

Lay out a cabbage leaf, place a large scoop of the mixture inside, roll up leaf, and place in dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining cabbage and filling.

Combine tomato soup and water, pour over cabbage rolls, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake until cabbage is tender, about 1½ hours.

Notes * Either homemade (such as my Spanish rice recipe without the tomato-bell pepper garnish) or from a box.

** Or you can use 1½ c vegetable juice in place of the tomato soup/sauce and water.

Adapted from the recipe for "Quickie Cabbage Rolls" in Not Just for Vegetarians: Delicious Homestyle Cooking, the Meatless Way, by Geraldine Hartman (read my review).

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Cabbage rolls