I used Ina Garten's stuffed cabbage recipe as a jumping off point, putting my twist on it. I was a little nervous when I saw that Ina's recipe calls for raisins, vinegar and brown sugar. I decided to trust Ina and include those ingredients in my adaptation of her recipe. I really like it. The sauce has a unique sweetness as well as a nice tangy note. I am happy to add this recipe to my collection.
If you like Stuffed cabbage Leaves I think you will like my Fennel Leak Casserole as well.
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Extra flavorful stuffed cabbage leaves with balsamic vinegar for the tart and golden raisins for the sweet.
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Large pot for boiling whole cabbage
- Large bowl
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup golden balsamic or red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup red wine omit if using red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the filling:
- ¾ pound ground chuck
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head green cabbage including outer leaves
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the diced onions, reserving ¼ cup for the filling. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent.
- Add the canned tomatoes, vinegar, wine, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the sauce aside.
To prepare the cabbage leaves:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the core of the cabbage with a paring knife.
- Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it s flexible.
- Set the leaves aside on paper towels. I used eight large leaves of cabbage. Remove the head of cabbage from the water and refrigerate for another use.
For the filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the filling combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Add ½ cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
- To assemble the stuffed leaves, place ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Thin down the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife.
- Place ⅓ cup of filling near the rib edge of each leaf. Tuck the sides in fold the cabbage over the filling.
- Place half the cabbage rolls, seam sides down, over the sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Continue assembling until all the cabbage rolls are in the pot. I ended up with eight.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked. Baste with the sauce from the bottom of the pot and serve piping hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Amount per Serving
Calories
575
% Daily Value*
Fat
27
g
42
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
40
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
14
g
Cholesterol
142
mg
47
%
Sodium
1512
mg
63
%
Potassium
1056
mg
30
%
Carbohydrates
59
g
20
%
Fiber
8
g
32
%
Sugar
31
g
34
%
Protein
24
g
48
%
Vitamin A
484
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
97
mg
118
%
Calcium
204
mg
20
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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