Description
Polish cabbage rolls, known as gołąbki, offer a comforting journey through Eastern European cuisine. Hearty ground meat, rice, and tender cabbage leaves combine in a savory dish you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground pork (alternatively, ground turkey)
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 head fresh green cabbage
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 small onions (finely diced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 1/2 cups + 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can (14 oz/397 g) diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 can (10.5 oz/298 g) tomato soup
- 3 tbsps freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp dill weed
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare cabbage leaves by immersing them in boiling water for 2 minutes until tender. Remove carefully and let cool on a clean kitchen towel.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the middle position.
- Cook rice slightly undercooked, reducing standard cooking time by 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large skillet, brown ground meats with onions and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain excess fat thoroughly.
- Combine cooked meat with rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beaten egg. Mix ingredients until evenly distributed.
- Create sauce by whisking tomato sauce and tomato soup until smooth.
- Spread thin layer of sauce across bottom of 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Trim thick cabbage leaf stems if necessary. Place filling in center of each leaf, fold sides inward, and roll tightly with seam facing downward.
- Arrange rolls compactly in baking dish, ensuring they do not overlap.
- Pour remaining sauce evenly over cabbage rolls, covering completely.
- Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 75-90 minutes until rolls are heated through and sauce is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and rolls to set.
Notes
- Use fresh, crisp cabbage leaves for easier rolling and better texture.
- Blanch cabbage leaves quickly to prevent tearing and make them pliable for wrapping.
- Consider using lean ground meats like turkey or chicken for a healthier alternative to traditional pork and beef.
- Experiment with herbs like dill or parsley to add extra flavor complexity to the meat mixture.
- If leaves are small, overlap them or use two leaves to create a complete roll.
- Drain meat thoroughly to prevent excess grease in the final dish.
- Allow rolls to rest after baking to help them set and make cutting easier.
- Freeze uncooked rolls for up to 3 months for convenient meal prep.
- For gluten-free option, replace tomato soup with additional tomato sauce and verify ingredient labels.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 287 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg