VEGETARIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

This is a recipe I have been thinking about for ages, and I finally made these lovely cabbage rolls the other night.  DH had four of them!  I was stuffed after eating two...great leftovers for tomorrow!
1/2 cup of red lentils
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 large Bay Leaf
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1/4 cups of Vegetable Stock
Rinse the rice and the lentils well under water in a strainer.  Add to a medium sauce pan, with the other ingredients, and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer, lid on and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid, and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  The consistency should be quite thick.
Meanwhile put the cabbage on to cook.
1 head of cabbage
Remove the core from the cabbage, and add to a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low medium heat about 15-18 minutes.  Drain and set aside, allowing the cabbage to cool.
1 Tblsp. butter, 2 Tblsp. Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 minced garlic cloves
6 crimini mushrooms, diced
1 cup of finely diced carrots
1/2 cup of finely diced celery
3 tsp. ground Cumin
3 tsp. Seasoning Blend, or your favorite Seasoning blend (Mrs. Dash is a good one too)
3/4 cup Vegetable stock
1 heaping Tblsp. Tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce:
2 cups of Passata sauce
1 Tblsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Tamari Sauce
Mix together and set aside.
While the lentil/rice and cabbage is cooking, heat up a frying pan on low medium heat with the butter and olive oil.  Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms to the pan to saute.  Season with salt and pepper.

Saute about 5 minutes, then add in the carrots, celery, cumin, and season blend, continue to saute for another 5 minutes.  Pour in the 3/4 cup of Vegetable stock, cover with a lid, and let simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid, and continue to simmer until all the liquid is gone, mine took about 15 more minutes.
Add the tomato paste, and check for seasonings, adjusting to taste.  Add the cooked lentil/rice mixture to the vegetables, stirring to combine, and again check for seasonings.
Gently remove the cabbage leaves, drying them with a clean dish towel.  Add a generous amount of lentil/rice mixture to the cabbage.
Roll up the cabbage tucking in the sides and place into a lightly oiled casserole dish.
Pour over the Passata mixture, cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  These would be great for lunch too, and I think they would also freeze well - enjoy!

Ina Gawne
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6 comments on “VEGETARIAN CABBAGE ROLLS”

  1. Hey Ina,
    You told me that you were going to make vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls & here they are! They are looking superb & to tuck them into that lovely tomato sauce! These are real winners, I think!

  2. Hi This recipe looks amazing I just copied and pasted so I can print it out and buy the ingredients tomorrow!! Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes. I just have a crazy question, what is Passada sauce?

    1. Thanks Donna, hope you enjoy! Passata sauce is jarred strained tomatoes. It is not thick nor is it super runny. You could use tomato sauce in place of it.

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January 11, 2012
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