Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe 

We start this week with one of my husband’s favourite dishes, the best stuffed cabbage rolls recipe, with tomatoes, thyme and dill. It’s a summer meal, which I made starting to cook with the first harvest of cabbage. In this period we were also doing the stuffed collard greens with spinach.

For this recipe, I use cabbage leaves, from early cabbage varieties, not from autumn ones. There are those greens that have a deep green colour, not those of light colours.

Ingredients Used in Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

I used in this recipe a medium-sized cabbage, from which I could detach about 12 leaves to fill.

For the filling, I used about 750 g minced pork. You can also use minced meat mixture, two parts pork and one part minced beef.

We also need a large onion and a cup of rice, which I washed previously.

And let’s not forget the tomatoes! I used two canned chopped tomatoes.

Well, let’s get to work!

At the beginning, we prepare the filling. For this, we clean and chop the onion.

In a small saucepan or pan, heat two tablespoons of oil and put the chopped onion to fry.

I seasoned with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tablespoon of sweet paprika powder.

Pull the pan aside to cool slightly, during which time we can wash the rice in a sieve, under a stream of cold water.

After the rice is well-drained, we put it over the minced meat.

Season with a teaspoon of sea salt, a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and a tablespoon of sweet paprika powder.

After that I put the fried onion on top, without the frying oil.

I put another teaspoon of chopped dill, then mixed everything by hand, until I obtained a homogeneous paste.

Leave the filling aside, and start with the cabbage.

Preparing and Stuffing the Cabbage Leaves

In a larger pot, I put the water to a boil, with a spoonful of salt. When the water is boiling, put the cabbage leaves in the water, and boil them for about 10 minutes.

I boiled the leaves in two turns because they did not fit all at once. Remove the leaves from the water, and put them in a large strainer, drain the water and cool it a little.

After they have cooled down enough to get hold of, we start filling the cabbage leaves.

You will see that after you have boiled the cabbage leaves a little, they can be filled and rolled much easier because they are soft and delicate.

First, we cut the thick part of the leaf tail, to make it easier to roll.

On a cabbage leaf put a spoon of filling and roll it.

I roll the whole leaf, but you can if you want to get smaller rolls, cut the leaf in half and fill half the leaf.

Continue until you fill all the leaves.

Because I have some filling left, I’ll make some meat balls.

Setting in the pot

For this dish, I used a soup pot, on the bottom of which I placed some branches of thyme.

Over this, I sprinkled a handful of strips of cabbage, from the small unused leaves, which we cut in the strips and the leaves tails.

We pour the first canned tomatoes over these strips of cabbage.

After that, we are going to place the stuffed cabbage rolls next to each other.

Over the cabbage rolls, I put again a little thyme.

Next is the second can of chopped tomatoes.

From the remaining filling, we make some meatballs and place them in the pot, next to stuffed cabbage rolls.

Pour the water into the pot, to cover all the stuffed cabbage well.

I seasoned with 2 teaspoons of salt, a tablespoon of dried vegetable, a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of chopped dill. Let boiling everything!

Now I have used one of the techniques learned from my mother, namely placing a plate over the rolls. This has the role of keeping the rollers pressed and fixed, not to break during boiling.

You can use instead of a plate, a smaller lid.

Finishing and Serving

Boil everything for about an hour, over medium heat, until the cabbage and rice is boiled.

That it! The best stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is ready!

I carefully transferred the stuffed cabbage rolls into a glass bowl that I placed in the middle of the table.

Everything looks very appetizing!

It is served hot and with a little sour cream or Greek yogurt on top.

There are people, like my husband, who put a little more sugar on top.

You also try different variants. How do you like it?

If you liked the best stuffed cabbage rolls recipe, I suggest you try it too the cabbage casserole recipe with rice and pork mince.

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