If I can think of an ultimate comfort food from my childhood, holubtsi (Ukrainian-style cabbage rolls – also known as “golubtsi” in Russian or “golumpki” in Polish) generally top that list. Usually filled with a meat (generally pork, beef or a mixture of both) and rice and covered with a flavourful tomato sauce, they’re not exactly vegetarian friendly.
Which is why I decided to develop this veggie-friendly version. Filled with a mixture of lentils, mushrooms and rice, they are hearty and “meaty” while being completely meat-free. And they still have that classic flavour!
This recipe is a bit of a project and requires a lot of simultaneous steps, so don’t plan to make it on a busy weeknight. However, once it’s done, you’re going to be left with some great, “authentic” tasting Ukrainian cuisine that just happens to be vegetarian!
How to Make Vegetarian Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls
Fundamentally, this recipe isn’t particularly complicated, but it does have a lot of steps and there are a few moving parts, so it’s important to have all your ducks in a row (and make sure you read the entire recipe!) before you start cooking.
Also, keep in mind that you may use just about every pot in your kitchen so get ready to do some washing up!
With that out of the way, I like to start with prepping the mushrooms. I use the same technique for the mushrooms here that I do in my mushroom ragu and cottage pie recipes – grinding them in the food processor.
Simply add the mushrooms to the food processor and pulse a few times until they’re very finely ground. Alternatively, you can chop them very finely with a knife but this will take longer.
Add your ground mushrooms to a bowl, drizzle with a bit of oil and mix to combine. Spread the mushrooms over a parchment-lined baking tray and move to a 220°C/425°F oven.
Cook the mushrooms until they’ve reduced significantly in size and are deeply browned – about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and core your cabbage. To do this, insert a paring knife along the stem end of your cabbage at an angle, about two-thirds of the way into the cabbage. Cut around the stem until you can remove the core in a cone shape.
Once your water is boiling, add the cored cabbage and cook until the leaves are very tender and beginning to separate, about 15-20 minutes.
While all of this is happening, you also need to cook both your green lentils and your rice. Just do this in some boiling water until cooked through. See what I mean about using every pot and pan in your house?
Once the rice and the lentils are done, add them both to a large mixing bowl.
Moving on, add a bit of oil to a large skillet and set it over medium heat. Once shimmering, add a finely diced onion and a carrot along with a generous pinch of salt.
Cook until softened, about five minutes, before adding in some garlic, tomato paste and paprika.
Cook this for a minute longer before pouring over a bit of veggie stock. Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Add the mixture to the same bowl as the rice and lentils
Once your mushrooms are done, also add them to the mixing bowl and stir until everything is all combined.
In the same skillet (no need to clean it out!), add a bit more oil and, once shimmering, add in a touch more tomato paste and paprika. Cook for a minute before pouring over some pureed canned tomatoes.
To the tomatoes, also add in a bit of brown sugar for sweetness (the sauce is traditionally a little bit sweet) and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble for about 5 minutes before removing from the heat and stirring in a bit of sour cream.
Now it’s finally time to form your cabbage rolls! This is pretty easy.
Carefully remove a leaf from your cooked cabbage. Use a paring knife to remove the tough rib from the centre of the leaf. Add a heap of filling to the centre of the cabbage leaf and fold over the sides. Then, roll the remaining cabbage over the filling.
Place the roll, seam side down, in a large Dutch oven. Then, go ahead and repeat with the remaining filling and cabbage.
Once all of your rolls are formed, pour the sauce over the rolls and put the lid on the Dutch oven. Move to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes before reducing the heat to 180°C/350°F and cooking for a further 30 minutes.
And once your cabbage rolls are done, you’re ready to eat! They’re particularly delicious alongside a helping of buckwheat kasha and dolloped with plenty of sour cream.
Meatless Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls (Holubtsi)
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) mushrooms such as crimini or portobello, stems removed
- 1 medium cabbage
- 150 g (1 cup) white rice
- 150 g (1 cup) green lentils
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled & finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste divided
- 2 tsp sweet paprika divided
- 120 ml (½ cup) vegetable broth or water (see note 1)
- 11 g (1 ¾ tsp) salt divided (see note 2)
- 2 (400g/14oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes pureed until smooth
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 30 g (2 tbsp) sour cream plus more for serving (see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Using a food processor (or a sharp chef's knife and some patience), pulse the mushrooms until they are finely ground. You may need to work in batches. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and drizzle over 1 tbsp of neutral oil. Stir until well combined.
- Spread the mushrooms on a parchment-lined baking sheet and move to the oven. Cook, stirring halfway through, until reduced in size by at least half, a good portion of the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown – about 20-30 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use a sharp knife to cut the core out of the cabbage. To do this, insert the knife at an angle along the side of the stem end, going about ⅔ of the way into the cabbage. Carefully cut in a circular motion until the core comes out in a cone shape.
- Add the cored whole cabbage and 7g (1 tsp) of the salt to the boiling water. Cover with a lid and cook until the leaves are softened and translucent, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add to a small saucepan and cover with 300ml (1¼ cups) of cool water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is cooked through – about 20 minutes.
- While the rice, cabbage and mushrooms are cooking, add the lentils to another small saucepan. Cover with several centimetres of cool water and set over high heat. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp of neutral oil to a large skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the onion and carrot along with 1g (¼ tsp) of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, 1 tbsp of the tomato paste and 1 tsp of the paprika. Cook until very fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Pour over the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
- Add the cooked mushrooms, rice and lentils to a large mixing bowl. Pour over the cooked onion mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
- To the same skillet, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil and set over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the remaining tomato paste and paprika. Cook for about 1 minute, just until the tomato paste darkens. Pour over the pureed canned tomatoes, the sugar, the remaining 2g (½ tsp) of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Set aside.
- Now, form the rolls. Remove a leaf of cabbage, cutting out the tough rib from the outer leaves. Place a heaping tablespoonful of the filling into the centre of the leaf. Fold the edges over the filling, then roll the remaining cabbage over the filling, fully encasing it. Add the roll, seam side down, to a large Dutch oven (see note 4). Repeat with the remaining cabbage and filling.
- Once all of the rolls are formed and in the Dutch oven, scrape the sauce over the rolls and cover the pot. Move it to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve the holubtsi drizzled with excess sauce and a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
- In lieu of vegetable broth, you can rinse the cans of tomatoes with some water and use an equal amount of that.
- Because different varieties and brands of salt can vary by volume and salinity, I highly encourage using the weight measurement rather than the volumetric measurement to avoid over-seasoning your cabbage rolls.
- For those after a vegan option, either omit the sour cream entirely or swap with a plant-based alternative.
- If you do not have a Dutch oven, you can put the holubtsi into a 33 x 23cm (13 x 9in) baking dish and cover with foil when baking.
- The formed, unbaked cabbage rolls can be frozen. Set on a baking tray and move to the freezer, uncovered, until frozen solid. Transfer to an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. The cooked sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight and bake according to the instructions in the recipe.
- Alternatively, the cooked and cooled holubtsi can be transferred to an airtight container or freezer bag and frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat, covered, in a 180°C/350°F oven until heated through.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Holuptsi can easily be made vegetarian without sacrificing their delicious flavour and heartiness. If you’re after all of the comforting qualities of Ukrainian cabbage rolls but want a meat-free version, this is the recipe for you!
Are you after a meat-free recipe for cabbage rolls? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
