Meatless Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls (Holubtsi)

This vegetarian version of a Ukrainian classic has all of the same flavours while being meat-free. It's an involved recipe, but note that many steps can be done simultaneously. I recommend making the entire batch (which serves 4-6 people as a main) even if you're only cooking for 1 or 2 people as they freeze incredibly well.

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Servings 15 holubtsi

Prep Time 40

Total Time 1 30

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.

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