Stuffed cabbage is a staple in eastern European food. Also known as galumpki or golabki (among other names), I'm drawing on my polish roots for this recipe. While Pierogi and Kielbasa were the most common polish foods in our house, Polish Stuffed Cabbage was a treat that we all enjoyed. The cabbage is stuffed with a mixture of ground meat and rice, then baked in a red tomato sauce until flavorful and delicious.
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What type of cabbage to use
To make stuffed cabbage rolls you should use green cabbage. I'd steer away from varieties such as red cabbage or savoy cabbage. When choosing your cabbage, you want to select a large head (for the largest sized leaves).
The head should be firm and without any soft spots. To prep the cabbage, remove the stem with a paring knife. The stem is very fibrous and harder to chew and digest than the rest of the leaves.
How to prepare Polish Stuffed Cabbage
The most hands on portion of this recipe is blanching the cabbage leaves and stuffing the cabbage. To begin you'll carefully peel off the cabbage leaves one by one, removing any thick stems as you do. Then you'll bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Taking turns blanch each cabbage leaf in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes pliable.
Next you'll take the prepared stuffing, place towards the end of the cabbage leaf, then roll up like a burrito to secure. The amount of stuffing needed will vary depending on the size of the cabbage leaf.
What is inside of a cabbage roll
Inside the cabbage roll is a mixture of ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, rice and seasoning. As the cabbage roll cooks, the liquid from the sauce will penetrate the cabbage and season the stuffing. When served, the cabbage roll will be moist and flavorful.
Ingredients Needed
- Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion Minced
- 56 Oz Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Golden Raisins
- 1 Tsp Marjoram
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cabbage Rolls
- 2 ½ Pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 3 Eggs
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion Minced
- ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ Cup Rice Cooked
- 1 Tsp Marjoram
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Large Green Cabbage
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Sauté Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Dish
- Aluminum Foil
Storage Tips
Fridge: Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place desired amount of rolls in the microwave and heat until warmed up. To warm in the stove, heat oven to 375 degrees, bake covered in aluminum foil for 25 minutes or until warmed through.
Freezer: Place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to2 months. To reheat, defrost in the microwave and cook until warmed through.
Other Polish Favorites you may enjoy
There are many amazing polish foods and I haven't even put a lot of them on my site yet. Some of my favorites which I have shared are Polish Meat Pierogi, Creamy Kielbasa and Pierogi Bake, One Pan Kielbasa and Cabbage, and this recipe for Potato and Bacon Pierogi.
Polish Stuffed Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion Minced
- 56 Oz Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Golden Raisins
- 1 Tsp Marjoram
- Salt
- Pepper
Stuffing
- 2 ½ Pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 3 Eggs
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion Minced
- ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ Cup Rice Cooked
- 1 Tsp Marjoram
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Large Green Cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Bring a large sauce pot to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onion. Cook until onion has softened and is translucent.
- Stir in canned tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins and marjoram. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer 20 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, boil a large pot of salted water. Place cabbage in pot and remove leaves once they become pliable. You should aim to have 15-20 leaves depending on the size of your cabbage. Remove lower portion of the stem from each leaf so that you are left with pliable cabbage. Set aside.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl.
- Spoon filling into the bottom portion of the cabbage leaves. Shape into a large oval. Roll cabbage leaves up from the stem side. Place seam side down in a large casserole dish. Fill dish with cabbage rolls, going to a second layer as needed.
- Pour sauce on top of cabbage rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Serve warm, enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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About Michelle
Hello! I'm Michelle Boulé. I'm a photography nerd, cat mom and all around foodie. Join me in making some of my favorite comfort foods!
Lynds says
Raisins???? My Polish ancestors are weeping. Breadcrumbs???? Are you even Polish??? Where is the ground pork??? Where is the bacon fat??? This is just as bad as peas in the Kapusta.