Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe (2024)

Based on the Polish “golumpki” or cabbage rolls, this vegetarian (vegan) recipe is a treat. Set aside some time for this special main dish.

Serve cabbage rolls with butter or vegan margarine, salt, and perogies. The rolls freeze well too – perfect for this large recipe that serves six to eight as a main dish.

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe

• 2 yellow cooking onions
• 1 large head green cabbage
• 1 package of tempeh OR 2 cups button or cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups cooked rice (white is traditional but brown is also good)
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice
• 2 Tbsp. butter or vegan margarine
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

How to make the Cabbage Rolls.

There are four steps in making cabbage rolls: cooking the cabbage leaves, making the filling, making the sauce, and stuffing and cooking. The filling and sauce can be made a day in advance.

Cook the Cabbage Leaves

Fill a very large pot about half-full with water and bring to a rolling boil. The pot needs to be large enough to cook the heat of cabbage without overflowing, but it doesn’t have to cover the whole head.

Meanwhile, rinse the cabbage and cut out the core from the bottom. Try to save the outer leaves of the cabbage, if possible. The large, pliable outer leaves make the best wrappers.

When the water boils, put the cabbage in the water on its side and boil for 10 minutes. Carefully roll the cabbage onto its other side and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the cabbage from the water using strong tongs or a colander and stand it up on a plate. Test the leaves for doneness – they should pull away from the head easily and be soft and easy to fold.

As each leaf is removed from the head, carefully remove the tough center vein from the bottom of the leaf. Cut far enough up that the remaining vein rolls easily without breaking.

Make the Cabbage Roll Filling

Heat half the butter or vegan margarine in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Dice one of the onions and add to the hot pan.

Fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.

While the onion is cooking, prepare the rest of the filling: break up either the tempeh or the mushrooms and add the pieces to the food processor. Pulse until the tempeh/mushrooms are in very small pieces, smaller than a pencil eraser. There should be two cups tempeh/mushrooms. If there are more or less than two cups, adjust to equal the volume of cooked rice – the two should be in equal parts.

Dump the processed tempeh/mushrooms into a large bowl. Add the cooked rice.

When the onion is soft, remove it from the heat and add it to the tempeh/mushroom/rice. If using the food processor for the sauce, transfer the filling to a separate bowl.

Making the Cabbage Rolls Sauce

Slice the second onion and add it to a medium mixing bowl or food processor (if empty).

Add the can of whole tomatoes. Using the food processor or immersion blender, blend the mixture until no large chunks of tomato or onion remain.

Season liberally with salt and pepper – these are the only spices in this cabbage roll recipe.

Stuffing and Cooking the Cabbage Rolls

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter or vegan margarine in a large flat pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) or electric frying pan. Add the sauce mixture, ensuring it covers the bottom of the pan. Keep over low heat.

To make the cabbage rolls, spoon about ¼ cup of the rice/tempeh/mushroom filling mixture onto one cabbage leaf.

Fold each side of the cabbage leaf towards the middle. Then, fold up the bottom and roll upwards. Place the finished roll in the sauce in the pan.

Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves and filling, lining the rolls up in the pan.

Cook for two hours over low-medium heat (a low simmer). If the sauce looks dry, add tomato juice or water to the pan. Serve hot.