Veggie-Laced Cabbage Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
While this recipe for cabbage rolls is incredibly easy to make, freezing an entire head of cabbage and allowing it to thaw completely takes about 1 1/2 - 2 days, so be sure to factor that in when planning to make this recipe.
Ingredients
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- coarse salt and black pepper to taste.
Veggie-Laced Cabbage Rolls
- 1 batch Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
- 1 3.5 - 4 pound green cabbage Prepared per instructions in the notes.
- 1 cup cauliflower rice See notes on how to prepare cauliflower rice or purchase store-bought cauliflower rice.
- 1/4 cup California white wine `
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 large carrots finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 ounces grated Romano cheese `
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Optional garnish: flaky salt, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil leaves.
Instructions
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic, stirring quickly to spread it out into the oil. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the crushed tomatoes. Working quickly, stir the garlic into the tomatoes, until evenly distributed.
- Taste and season with 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt, black pepper and crushed red chili flake. Continue to cook for a minute or two, until the tomatoes begin to bubble.
- Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender. Add in the roasted red bell peppers and the basil. Blend the mixture until pureed. Use immediatley or transfer to a jar or airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Veggie-Laced Cabbage Rolls
- Freeze and completely thaw the head of green cabbage as directed in the notes below. This step takes up to 2 days for the cabbage to freeze and thaw completely, so plan accordingly.Once the cabbage has defrosted, core it, remove the tough stems from the larger leaves, and separate them, drying them on kitchen towels or sheets of parchment. Season the leaves with a sprinkle of fine sea salt.
- From the center of the cabbage, chop some of the smaller leaves into very small pieces measuring 1 cup (90 grams). Reserve this cup of chopped cabbage for the filling. You can save any remaining cabbage for use in another meal.
- To make the filling, combine the 1 cup reserved chopped cabbage with the cauliflower rice, white wine, carrots, ground beef, ground turkey, granulated garlic, granulated onion, basil, almond flour, Romano cheese, olive oil, egg, and red pepper flakes in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190℃).Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch (33x23x5 cm) rectangular casserole dish with olive oil. Spread a third of the Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce at the bottom of the dish.
- Add a handful of the filling to each prepared cabbage leaf, then wrap and roll. Nestle the cabbage parcel into the sauce, seam side down. You should have enough cabbage leaves and filling to make approximately 16-18 rolls. Once you have made all of the cabbage rolls, spoon the remaining sauce over the tops of the cabbage rolls so that they are smothered in sauce.
- Bake the cabbage rolls for 60-75 minutes, until the rolls are cooked through.
- To serve, garnish with flaky salt, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil leaves.
Video
Notes
How to prepare the head of green cabbage:
Two days before you would like to make cabbage rolls, freeze the whole head of cabbage wrapped in a plastic bag, defrost overnight in the refrigerator or overnight on the kitchen counter, and then peel off the leaves and continue as directed above.
How to prepare cauliflower rice:
First, wash and dry a head of cauliflower and remove the leaves and stem. Cut the cauliflower into florets and pulse them in a food processor until they are broken down into rice-sized pieces. Be careful not to over-process, or the cauliflower will become too fine.
Nutrition
Calories: 482kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 31gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 1348mgPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5370IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 241mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @cagrownofficial or tag #CAGROWN!