Mediterranean-Style Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
BEST unstaffed cabbage rolls recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style with brown rice and lean ground beef. Fresh herbs and warm spices bring it together! Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped into large pieces
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice or 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Blanch the cabbage. In a large pot or Dutch oven, boil plenty of water. Add cabbage and cook until bright green and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer cooked cabbage to a colander to drain, and return the water to the boil.
- Cook the rice. Once boiling, season water with a big pinch of salt. Add the uncooked rice and give it a stir. Boil until the rice is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain the rice through a fine sieve and set aside.
- Brown the onions, garlic, and beef. Wipe the empty pot and return it to medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook, stirring regularly, for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and ground meat. Break the meat apart using a wooden spoon. Raise heat to medium-high. Cook until meat is fully browned, stirring occasionally. Carefully drain any fat, and return to heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cabbage, brown rice, chopped herbs, and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Boil, then simmer. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer until rice has absorbed some of the cooking liquid, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Ladle into serving bowls and serve, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, cumin, and allspice used in this recipe.
- Prep Tip: If you want to get a head start on the unstuffed cabbage, you can take care of two key ingredients ahead of time. Blanch the cabbage and drain it well. Cook and drain the brown rice. Once cooled, store both in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Vegan Option: You can make a vegan version of this unstuffed cabbage recipe. Swap the meat out for 2 cups cooked or drained and rinsed canned chickpeas.
- Slow-Cooker Version: Making unstuffed cabbage rolls in the slow cooker is easy. You can throw in the cabbage pieces without boiling and use uncooked brown rice.
- Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic in a pan on the stovetop.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large slow cooker. Add in cabbage pieces (uncooked), cooked ground meat mixture, uncooked brown rice, herbs, spices, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with a little kosher salt and pepper.
- Add 2 1/4 cups of water and stir everything together. Set the slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours.
- Storing Leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow airtight glass containers for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers in portions for use as needed. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, and reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat with a little more liquid added, stirring regularly until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 312.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.7g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 46.9mg | Sodium: 524.4mg | Potassium: 1025.1mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 9.9g | Vitamin A: 1268.1IU | Vitamin C: 78.9mg | Calcium: 135.6mg | Iron: 5.2mg
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