Recipe Background
Cabbage rolls filled with savory meat and rice are comforting and rich.
Cabbage rolls are like a warm kitchen embrace, filling the room with the gentle, earthy aroma of simmering tomatoes and tender meat. Each roll is a little parcel of comfort. The cabbage becomes sweet and just the right hint of tender, cradling a savory embrace of pork and beef. As it bakes, the tomato sauce bubbles, infusing the rolls with tangy richness. It's a dish that quietly rewards patience, the sort of meal best shared around a well-lit table.
The filling is hearty, speckled with fresh parsley and just enough dill to tie it all together. It's a reminder of how the simplest seasonings can make a dish sing. The softness of rice mingles with the delicate flavor of the meat, each bite melting and satisfying. Allowing the cooked cabbage leaves to cool slightly before filling makes them pliable and easy to handle, preventing any unnecessary tearing.
Sharing cabbage rolls is like sharing a bit of tradition and time—the perfect way to gather friends or family. Whether enjoyed on a chilly evening or as a Sunday dinner, they represent a delicious nod to home-cooked goodness. The warm, fragrant steam that escapes as you cut into the roll is a promise of the layered flavors within, each spoonful offering a taste of connection.
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 cup rice uncooked
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 2 small onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dill
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup tomato sauce divided
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can tomato soup
Directions
- Cut about 1/4-inch off the bottom of the head of cabbage.
- Place the entire head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil until the leaves soften, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the head from the water and peel off the softened leaves, removing any tough stems from the leaves.
- Return the cabbage head to the boiling water to soften any leaves still on the head, and boil any removed leaves if they aren't quite softened enough. Set the softened leaves aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions, but reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes. The rice should be slightly underdone since it will be cooked further later on. Set the rice aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the pork, beef, and onions until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, dill, and parsley and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Drain the fat from the skillet.
- Add the cooked rice, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup tomato sauce, salt, and pepper to the skillet, stirring to combine.
- Stir in the egg.
- Mix the remaining 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce and the tomato soup in a bowl.
- Spread a thin layer of the tomato soup mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan or baking dish.
- Lay a softened cabbage leaf flat. Add 1/3-1/4 cup of the meat and rice filling to the center of the leaf.
- Fold in the side of the leaf and then roll the cabbage up. Place the cabbage roll in the baking pan, seam side down.
- Repeat this process with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
- Pour the remaining tomato soup mixture over the cabbage leaves.
- Cover the baking pan tightly with foil.
- Bake the cabbage rolls until cooked through and tender, 75-90 minutes.
- Let the cabbage rolls cool for 15 minutes.
- Serve!
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