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Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are a mainstay of Ukrainian banquets and weddings, as well as everyday use. This particular recipe is considered a Doukhobor recipe, while Ukrainians used sour cabbage and lots of oil. These have grown on me over the years but sour cabbage rolls will always be my favorite. 

As a note my Granny's recipe was a bit thin on detail so I have augmented the recipe with details form the Ukrainian Daughters Cookbook, which my dear auntie Cheryl bought for me.

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Ingredients

2 cups uncooked rice

4 cups boiling water                                   

1 ½  tsp salt

1 large fresh green cabbage

1 onion

2 tbsp butter

Sauce:

1 ½ cup tomato juice

2 tbsp melted butter

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Variations:
1) 1 cup fried bacon or lardons
2) 1 1/2 cups ground pork or beef
3) 1 cup of sliced mushrooms

Preparation

The first and most important step that both my Granny and my Auntie Lily leave out is cook the rice!!!!  Add the 2 cups of rice to the 4 cups of boiling water.  The next step is to saute the onion in the butter.  I use the bacon variation and add either fried bacon (or lardons if you are living in Europe) and continue to fry.  Add the cooked rice to the onion mixture and season with salt and pepper.   

To prepare the cabbage remove the core from the cabbage head using a sharp knife. Put the cabbage in a pot of boiling water to blanch the leaves.  Remove the outer leaves as they become soft.  Cool the blanched leaves in cold water. 


Cut out the hard middle rib, diving the cabbage leaf in two. You are supposed to cut the leaves into hand size prices but I use the whole leaf (but my rolling technique isn't very good). Place approximately 1 tbsp of filling in the cabbage leaf and then roll the leaf tightly around the filling folding in the leaf from both sides as you roll. 

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