I first developed this recipe for Beyond Beef cabbage rolls last February. We love them so much! I’m glad we are heading into fall again, to make warm baked recipes. While we still have some summer in us, it’s comforting to start making a few fall recipes here and there.
These cabbage rolls are so easy to make! Cooking and rolling the cabbage leaves may seem intimidating. But if you have some kitchen tongs, cooking the cabbage will be easier and safer. Then the leaves will be just the right softness for rolling up. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Submerge the cabbage into the boiling water and cook for five minutes to begin the cooking process. As the cabbage cooks, roll it from side to side occasionally to make sure the boiling water covers every part of the cabbage surface. This will soften the cabbage leaves so you are able to roll and fold them without any tears in the leaves.
I made this recipe with one pound of Beyond Beef ground, but you can try it with any ground meat substitute. I like the texture and taste of Beyond Beef, so it’s usually my go to for meaty recipes.
You can use any of your favorite marinara sauces to make these meaty vegan cabbage rolls. You might like to have a look at my easy homemade marinara sauce recipe. It’s great for use on any pasta dish, for dipping, and for vegan meatball or meatloaf sandwiches. You can even make it a day or two ahead and pop it into the fridge to let the flavors really meld.
For the rice in this recipe, I use the rice blends that are in microwave packages. But, I don’t microwave them or cook them (because they are precooked and already soft) in any way before adding them to the cabbage rolls. Any kind of rice you like, precooked, will work. If you are an instant rice user, I understand that can be added to cabbage rolls without cooking first. I’ve never tried cabbage rolls that way, but it sounds like a simple alternative.
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cabbage rolls
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- 1 head cabbage
- 1 pound Beyond Beef
- 1/2 cup yellow or white onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- I cup rice I use the microwave rice pouches, uncooked
- 2 cups marinara sauce divided, see instructions below
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a large skillet, begin cooking the Beyond Beef, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until the Beyond Beef is browned.
- In the meantime, bring a large soup pot or dutch oven of water to boil. Carefully place the head of cabbage into the boiling water and let cook for 5 minutes. Use tongs to move it around for good water coverage.
- With kitchen tongs, carefully remove the cabbage from the boiling water and let drain. Peel 12 leaves from the outer layers of the cabbage.
- Cut a small V shape on the sides of the thick middle stem in each leaf and remove the stem to about halfway into the leaf. Set aside the cabbage leaves
- Add the rice and only 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce to the cooked Beyond Beef, stirring in to blend. Remove from heat.
- Lightly line the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with some of the remaining marinara sauce.
- Place two spoonfuls of the filling from a soup spoon or large dining spoon into the top center of each cabbage leaf.
- Fold the long sides of the V cut over the filling, then roll from the cut side up, so that the top of the leaf covers the cut in the leaf.
- Place each cabbage roll into the marinara lined baking dish, arranging them snugly.
- Evenly spread the remaining marinara sauce over the tops of the cabbage rolls.
- Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
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Can you use uncooked basmati or brown rice or do you need to cook it first?
You would need to use cooked rice. I’ve never tried them with uncooked rice.