Stuffed Whole Cabbage
Stuffed Whole Cabbage
I love everything about Stuffed Cabbage. The way it fills the house with delicious aromas while cooking. The incredible blend of textures and the slightly sweet flavor from the Tomato Sauce. I love it the most because it evokes feelings of nostalgia and memories of my Mom. I have made Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Cabbage Roll Casserole and now this incredible recipe for a very impressive Stuffed Whole Cabbage. It may seem like there are a lot of steps but I promise they are relatively easy and so worth the effort.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 large Cabbage Head
1 cup (128 g) Carrots diced
1 medium Onion chopped
3 cloves of Garlic crushed
16 oz (453 g) Vegan Ground Beef
8 oz (277 g) Tempeh crumbled
2 cups (350 g) cooked Rice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Grape Seed Oil
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) Onion Powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) of Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp (15 ml) of Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce
28 oz (794 g) Whole Tomatoes
30 oz (850 g) Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp (5 g) Onion Powder
1 1/2 tsp (5 g) Garlic Powder
1/3 cup (66g) Light Brown Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Equipment needed:
Large stock pot for boiling
Medium Pot
2 Baking sheets
Paper towels or Kitchen towels
Large bowl of ice water
Dutch Oven style pot with cover
Cheesecloth
Twine
Large mixing bowl
Directions
1. Before you begin, have a large bowl of ice water and a couple of large baking pans ready to layout the Cabbage leaves on. Prepare the Cabbage by carefully removing as much of the core as possible. (I recommend using a sharp paring knife).
2. Blanch the Cabbage by adding it to a large stock pot of salted boiling water. I used a carving / bbq fork to help submerge it. Blanch the Cabbage until the leaves start to fall off.
3. As the Cabbage leaves fall of the head remove them from the pot and place them briefly into the ice water. Lay them onto the baking sheets to dry. Layer them between the paper towels.
4. Make the filling by sautéeing the Onion and Carrots on med high heat until the Onions become translucent.
5. Add in the Garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add in the crumbled Tempeh, and continue to cook for a few minutes.
6. Add in the Vegan Ground Beef that has been seasoned with 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp of Onion Powder, 1 Tbsp of Vegan Worcestershire sauce, Salt & Pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes before adding in the cooked Rice. Mix well and remove from heat to let cool.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 while you make the Tomato Sauce. To a medium pot on medium low heat add the Whole Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, 1 tsp of Garlic Powder, 1 tsp of Onion Powder, 2 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/3 cup Sugar and Salt & Pepper to taste. Break apart the Tomatoes using a fork and let the sauce heat through until the Sugar is disolved. Set aside.
8. Assemble the Cabbage by lining the large Bowl with a layer of cheese cloth. Cover the entire interior of the bowl with Cabbage leaves. (cut away any remaining stem/core that is too tough)
9. Spoon in a layer of the cooled filling and then cover the filling with another layer of Cabbage leaves. Repeat this process until you have used up all of the filling. Make sure to cover the top well with leaves.
10. Gather up the Cheesecloth around the Cabbage tightly and tie off the end to seal it. Place the entire Stuffed Cabbage into the Dutch Oven and cover with the Tomato sauce.
11. Cover and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at 350. Baste the Cabbage with the Tomato sauce every 20 minutes.
12. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pot. Unwrap the Cabbage and place a large plate or platter over the bottom and carefully flip it over.
13. Ladle the remaining Tomato sauce around the Cabbage and serve.
