Cabbage rolls with vegetables
4 servings
60 minutes
Cabbage rolls with vegetables are a delightful dish of Ukrainian cuisine, combining the tenderness of cabbage leaves with a fragrant filling of potatoes, chestnuts, and greens. This traditional dish has deep roots in rural cooking, where cabbage served as the basis for many recipes. The taste of cabbage rolls unfolds with a harmonious blend of creamy potatoes, a light nutty note from chestnuts, and the freshness of greens. Crème fraîche and Gouda cheese add softness to the filling, while stewing in vegetable broth and wine enhances richness. Cabbage rolls are served cut open with an aromatic sauce infused with the juices of bacon and vegetables. They pair perfectly with rice or fresh bread, and their rich flavor makes them a true festive treat suitable for cozy home dinners as well as formal events.
1
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Separate 8-12 leaves from the cabbage and blanch for 2 minutes, then remove from boiling water and place in cold water. Later, drain everything in a colander and let the water drain. Trim the thick veins flat from the leaves.
- White cabbage: 1 piece
2
For the filling, peel the potatoes and grate them on a coarse grater, finely chop the chestnuts, wash the green onions and cut them into thin rings. Wash the parsley and chop it.
- Potato: 400 g
- Peeled roasted chestnuts: 200 g
- Green onions: 6 pieces
- Parsley: 4 stems
3
Melt butter in a pan, and sauté grated potatoes and chestnuts on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Butter: 20 g
- Potato: 400 g
- Peeled roasted chestnuts: 200 g
4
Then remove the pan from the heat and gently mix in the green onions, parsley, grated cheese, crème fraîche, and breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Green onions: 6 pieces
- Parsley: 4 stems
- Gouda cheese: 80 g
- Crème fraiche: 200 g
- Breadcrumbs: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
- Nutmeg: pinch
5
Spread the potato mixture on the cabbage leaves, fold the edges inward, roll into rolls, and tie with kitchen twine.
6
Clean the onion and garlic. Slice the onion into half rings, leave the garlic whole. Wash the pepper, remove the core, and cut it into large pieces. Peel the parsnip (or parsley root) and cut it into pieces as well. Then cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Red sweet pepper: 0.5 piece
- Parsnip: 1 piece
- Bacon: 40 g
7
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Fry all the vegetables with the bacon over high heat, then transfer to a separate dish. In the same saucepan, fry the cabbage rolls on all sides until brown.
- Melted butter: 2 teaspoons
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Red sweet pepper: 0.5 piece
- Parsnip: 1 piece
- Bacon: 40 g
8
Then pour in the vegetable broth and wine, add the previously sautéed vegetables, and simmer everything on low heat with a lid for about 35 minutes.
- Vegetable broth: 300 ml
- Red dry wine: 150 ml
9
Season the resulting sauce in the saucepan with salt and pepper to taste. Remove kitchen strings. Serve the cabbage rolls cut diagonally with sauce poured inside. Rice is a suitable side dish.
- Salt: to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste