Cabbage Rolls

Gluten Free, Vegan

This cabbage roll recipe lends itself to some play; these are not traditional “Golubtsy”, as my Russian hubby was quick to point out (I was just using ingredients I already had on hand). So feel free play with this, adding in your own favorites to the filling; I think some sautéed mushrooms would be a amazing addition. While these may not be the “real Russian deal”, they are delicious, even my hubby ate every last bite!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 10-12 large cabbage leaves
• 1 Cup Quinoa, cooked in vegetable broth
• ½ Cup cooked lentils
• ½ Tsp. Dried Rosemary
• ½ Tsp Dried Sage
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 1 Tbs Olive oil
• ½ a yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ Cup tomato sauce (I used my homemade canned sauce)
• 1 Cup vegetable stock
• 15oz Crushed or diced tomatoes
• ¼ Tsp. Sea salt
• A squeeze of lemon juice (approx 1-2 Tbs)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the cabbage leaves and blanch until softened, about 10 mins. Using tongs spread leaves out over a dry towel to cool and dry. Reserve the 1 cup of cooking water.
2. Carefully remove any thick ribs from the leaves. Use a sharp knife to shave it down while keeping the leaf intact. If the leaves are very large cut them in half.
3. In a large bowl combine cooked quinoa, cooked lentils, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper.
4. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and saute until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 min more.
5. Pour in tomato sauce, vegetable stock, & crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil add the lemon juice and salt and boil 1 min more. Remove from heat.
6. Over a flat surface, spread out a cabbage leaf. Add approximately 2 Tbs of the quinoa mixture. Fold in the sides of the leaf and roll up as you would a burrito. End with the seam side down.
7. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves.
8. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread a little of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
9. Place cabbage rolls in the casserole dish, seam side down and pour remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls, adding enough of the cooking water to partially cover the cabbage rolls. Cover dish with foil and place in oven, cooking for 25 mins, then reduce temp to 350°F and cook for 1 hr.
10. Allow the cabbage rolls to rest for at least 10mins before serving, this will allow the flavors to meld.