Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls just pulled from the oven.

Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Packed with umami flavor and hearty ingredients, these Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a hearty main for all occasions. Make ahead for a stress free dinner!

*There is quite a bit of overlap in tasking when preparing this recipe. If needed, make rolls one day ahead. Cover the rolls in the casserole dish, and refrigerate. The next evening, make the sauce and bake as written.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, American, Polish

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Vegan Cabbage Rolls, Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls, Veggie Cabbage Rolls

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 45

Servings -10 Rolls

Calories 149kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

3 pound (1.4 kilogram) Head of Green Cabbage go larger if 3lb is unavailable
1 ounce (28 grams) Dried Porcini Mushrooms
1/4 cup (50 grams) Long Grain Brown Rice
1/4 cup (50 grams) French or Green Lentils
1 teaspoon Sea Salt divided
1 Bay Leaf
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
3/4 pound (345 grams) Cremini Mushrooms stems removed and sliced thick
1/2 cup (46 grams) Shallot chopped small
1/2 cup (40 grams) Unseasoned Bread Crumbs Panko or toasted sourdough
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste divided
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Fist Full of Fresh Thyme divided
1 (14.5 ounces / 411 grams) Can Diced Tomatoes
Reserved Mushroom Soaking Liquid
Dry White Wine and/or Vegetable Broth as needed
Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Cabbage:

Bring a large stock pot, large enough to hold a head of cabbage, of water to a boil. Add the whole head of cabbage and simmer for 9 minutes turning it over once 1/2 way through cooking since it will float. Remove the cabbage and set in a colander to cool.
When cool enough to handle, gently remove the leaves attempting to keep them in tact as much as possible. To do this, use a pairing knife to cut around the base of the stem, releasing the cabbage leaves so you can gently pull them away from the head. You'll want to try and obtain at least 10, large in tact leaves for rolling. Set aside the torn leaves and/or other leaves which can be used to line the baking dish and/or eat for lunch the next day.
The leaves closest to the core won't fully soften, so if more leaves are needed, you can place these individually in the pot of hot water to soften or store the remaining head in the fridge to be later used in a another recipe.

For the Stuffing:

Rehydrate the Porcini: Place the porcini in a bowl. Scoop out 2 C (472g) of that very hot water the cabbage is cooking in and pour over the porcini mushroom. Cover the mushrooms with a lid and rehydrate 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze out as much soaking liquid from the mushrooms as possible. Rough chop the mushrooms and set aside.
Cook the Lentils and Rice: In a small sauce pot bring 1 1/2 C (454g) of water to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt, bay-leaf, lentils and rice. Turn heat to low, put a lid on the pot and cook for about 35-40 minutes, or until rice and lentils are tender. The lentils will cook faster than the rice, but this is okay for our application.
Cook the Mushrooms: In a nonstick saute pan add two Tbs of olive oil, heat until shimmering then add all the mushrooms. Give them a good stir then let them cook for about 2 minutes at a time before stirring again. We want to get a good sear on the mushrooms. Cook for about 13-14 minutes. Add the shallots about 3 minutes before the mushrooms are done.
Process the Mushrooms: In a food processor, add the mushroom mixture, bread crumbs, 1 tsp of tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt and fresh thyme leaves from about 7 stems. Pulse about 4 times, scrape down bowl and pulse again a few more times so that mixture comes together but is not pasty.
Mix the Stuffing: When lentils and rice are done, scoop the mushroom mixture into the sauce pot the rice and lentils were cooked in. Add about 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper. Stir well to combine and taste for seasoning adjustment. Set aside.

For the Tomato Sauce:

To the same pan you sautéed the mushrooms in, pour in the reserved mushroom broth. Simmer on medium for about 2 minutes. The broth will begin to cook down a bit. Stir in the remaining tomato paste until dissolved. Add 1/4 tsp of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook on low for about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly spray a large casserole dish with pan spray.
Line the dish with 3-4 cabbage leaves, or enough to cover the bottom and most of the sides. If the leaves hang over the edges, this is okay. To lay them flat you may need to cut a notch a the base of each stem.
For the remaining cabbage leaves, if the stem is tough and won't easily roll, cut a small notch out. Scoop about 1/4 C (40g) of the mushroom mixture and place it near the base of the cabbage leaf. Gently fold in the sides and start rolling, tucking in the sides as needed.
Place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of the leaves. Repeat, adjusting the amount of filling as needed for smaller leaves, until all the filling is used. The rolls can be crowded, just not overlapping. If you run out of room, start another baking dish and line as with the first baking dish.
Pour the sauce over and around the top of the rolls. The sauce should come just up the sides of the rolls, not submerged. Drizzle white wine and/or veggie broth over the top as needed.
Give each roll a good few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of salt over the top. Lay 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme across the top.
Bake, uncovered for 40-50 minutes until the tops are a bit golden with some a little crispy. Remove from oven, discard crispy thyme leaves and let set for five minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh thyme over the top before serving.
Store in lidded container in fridge for up to two days.

Video

Notes

For a Make Ahead Meal: Make rolls one day ahead without making the sauce. Cover the rolls in the casserole dish, and refrigerate. The next evening, make the sauce and bake as written.

Inspired by A Polish Country House Kitchen

Nutrition