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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Vegan

    Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut

    Published by: Adina December 17, 2019 ยท Last modified: October 19, 2023 19 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image cabbage rolls with sauerkraut.

    Cabbage rolls with sauerkraut, rice, and vegetables, these vegan stuffed cabbage rolls will melt in your mouth.

    Vegan Rice Cabbage Rolls

    Melt-in-your-mouth vegan cabbage rolls with sauerkraut; a recipe you have to try if you like cabbage rolls.

    We love them. Sauerkraut cabbage rolls, vegetarian cabbage rolls, traditional Romanian cabbage rolls, Savoy cabbage rolls, and so on.

    I have rolled hundreds of cabbage rolls (or vine rolls) over the past 10 years, and there wasn't one recipe I didn't like.

    Cabbage rolls are traditional Romanian comfort food, the famous sarmale stuffed with ground pork and rice, cooked for hours on low heat until they are soft and almost falling apart.

    This recipe for sauerkraut cabbage rolls filled with rice and vegetables is a typical Romanian fasting time vegan cabbage roll recipe.

    Jump to recipe
    • What kind of sauerkraut do I need?
    • How to prepare the filling?
    • How to fill sauerkraut rolls?
    • How to cook vegan cabbage rolls?
    • How to serve sauerkraut rolls?
    • More stuffed rolls
    • Recipe
    • Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut
    Vegan Rice Cabbage Rolls

    What kind of sauerkraut do I need?

    The sauerkraut used to make these rolls is an Eastern European kind of sauerkraut, which is fermented whole in huge barrels. It is sour and very salty.

    To make this vegan stuffed cabbage, I bought a whole head of fermented cabbage from the Russian food store. Otherwise, I suppose any Eastern European food store will have some.

    The cabbage weighed about 4.5 oz/ 2 kg, and I was able to make about 50 rolls out of it.

    Don't think that 50 are way too many; they are quite small, so you can eat quite a few in one go, and this kind of dish tastes even better when reheated a couple of times.

    We had enough for 3 meals, and I was not tired of them in the end; I loved eating them every day.

    Vegan Rice Cabbage Rolls

    How to prepare the filling?

    • This kind of sauerkraut is sour and very salty. That is why you should always soak the sauerkraut before using it. Otherwise, the dish will be too sour and salty.
    • You should separate the leaves before soaking them.
    • Separate the cabbage leaves very carefully, trying not to break them too much. If you break them here and there, don't throw them away; you will also need them later.
    • Only throw away the hard middle of the cabbage. Cut the lower part of the leaves, where the stem is very thick (see pictures).
    • Cut the larger leaves into halves, in the middle where the thick stem is. Discard the thick stem.
    • Leave the smaller leaves whole, but cut the thick stem as well as possible so that the leaves will be easy to roll.
    • Wash and soak the leaves in cold water for about 20-30 minutes.
    preparing sauerkraut for rolls

    How to fill sauerkraut rolls?

    • Drain and shake the cabbage leaves well to remove the excess water before filling.
    • Place one on the working surface, and place a little filling more or less in the middle of the leaf.
    • Fold one side of the leaf over the filling, then fold the lower part of the leaf over.
    • Now fold the other side of the leaf over.
    • Roll the leaf to form the cabbage roll and tuck in the open end of the leaf.
    • If some leaves are too small, you can build a cabbage roll from two nicely arranged leaves on top of each other.
    • Don't make the rolls too full or too tight; the rice needs enough space to swell.
    • You will not be able to use the smallest leaves from the middle of the sauerkraut to make rolls; they are too small.
    • Chop this core and all the leftover pieces of sauerkraut into fine stripes.
    filling and rolling cabbage rolls

    How to cook vegan cabbage rolls?

    • Take a large oven-proof pot/ Dutch oven (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) and place about half of the cabbage strips on its bottom in an even layer.
    • Add one or two bay leaves and a generous sprinkle of dried savory (or dried thyme) and dill seeds on top (the Amazon links open in new tabs).
    • Arrange the cabbage rolls in the pot (I had two layers of cabbage rolls) and add more bay leaves and savory and dill seeds between the layers.
    • Top with the remaining chopped cabbage.
    • In a jug, mix the hot water, pureed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour enough of this liquid into the pot to barely cover the cabbage rolls.
    • Keep the rest, which you might need to add from time to time during the cooking process if the liquid cooks down too much.
    • Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours or until the cabbage and the rice are soft.
    • Preheat the oven during the last half hour of the cooking time to 350ยฐF/ 180ยฐC.
    • Place the pot in the oven and cook for another 20 minutes or so or until the cabbage is nicely colored on top and the liquid has cooked down some more.
    how to cook stuffed cabbage rolls

    How to serve sauerkraut rolls?

    • The vegan stuffed cabbage rolls can be served the day they are cooked, but like any other cabbage rolls, they taste better the next day. And the next day. And the next day.
    • Keep refrigerated in between.
    • You can serve the cabbage rolls with white bread or polentaโ€“mamaliga (Romanian style), crusty brown bread, or just as they are.
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    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    Recipe

    vegan cabbage rolls with rice in a bowl.

    Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut

    Cabbage rolls with sauerkraut, rice, and vegetables, these vegan stuffed cabbage rolls will melt in your mouth.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Romanian
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 272kcal
    Author: Adina
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    Ingredients 

    • 1 fermented whole head of white cabbage about 2 kg/ 4.4 lbs
    • 3 onions about 200 g/ 7 oz
    • 4 medium carrots about 200 g/ 7 oz
    • 1 potato about 150 g/ 5.3 oz
    • 1 red bell pepper about 100 g/ 3.5 oz
    • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
    • 1 heaped teaspoon vegetable broth powder.
    • 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 1 โ…› cup white rice
    • 50 g/ 1.7 oz hot or mild pepper paste to taste
    • 450 g/ 15.2 fl.oz/ 2 cups water
    • 350 g/ 12.3 oz tomato puree See note
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
    • [4-5 bay leaves]
    • [dried savory See note 2]
    • [2 tablespoons dill seeds]
    • fine sea salt and pepper

    Instructions

    Prepare the leaves:

    • Separate the cabbage leaves very carefully, trying not to break them too much. If you do break them here and there, don't throw them away; you will need them later as well. Only throw away the middle of the cabbage.
    • Cut the lower part of the leaves, where the stem is very thick (see pictures).
    • Cut the larger leaves into halves in the middle where the thick stem is. Discard the thick stem, but only in the case of the larger leaves that you are splitting in half.
      Leave the smaller leaves whole, but cut the thick stem as well as possible so that the leaves will be easy to roll.
    • Wash, then soak the leaves in cold water for about 20-30 minutes.

    Filling:

    • Chop the onions very, very finely. Clean and roughly grate the potato, carrot, and pepper.
    • Saute: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions until translucent and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add the vegetables and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the vegetable broth powder, paprika paste, rice, 3 tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoons of the pureed tomatoes.
    • Stir well and transfer to a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley and dill and salt and pepper to taste. Stir very well.

    Rolls:

    • Drain the cabbage leaves well.
    • Stuff cabbage: Place one on the working surface, place a little filling more or less in the middle of the leaf. Fold one side of the leaf over the filling, then fold the lower part of the leaf over, then the other side of the leaf over. Roll the leaf to form the cabbage roll and tuck in the open end of the leaf.
    • Tips: If some of the leaves are too small, you can build a cabbage roll from two leaves nicely arranged on top of each other. Don't make the rolls too full or too tight; the rice needs enough space to swell.

    Cook:

    • Chop the middle of the cabbage (where the leaves are too small to use) and all leftover pieces of cabbage into fine strips.
    • Assemble: Place about half of the cabbage stripes on the bottom of a Dutch oven (or another oven-proof pot) in an even layer. Add one or two bay leaves and a generous sprinkle of dried savory and dill seeds on top.
    • Arrange the cabbage rolls in the pot (I had two layers of cabbage rolls) and add more bay leaves, savory and dill seeds between the layers. Top with the remaining chopped cabbage.
    • Mix the water, pureed tomatoes, sugar, salt (taste; the sauce should be salty enough), and pepper in a jug. Pour enough of this liquid into the pot to barely cover the cabbage rolls. Keep the rest, which you might need to add from time to time during the cooking process if the liquid cooks down too much.
    • Simmer: Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours or until the cabbage and the rice are soft.
    • Preheat the oven during the last half hour of the cooking time to 350ยฐF/ 180ยฐC.
    • Bake: Place the pot in the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 20 minutes or so or until the cabbage is nicely colored on top and the liquid has cooked down some more.

    Notes

    1. Tomato puree/ strained tomatoes. Not tomato sauce and not tomato paste.
    2. It can be replaced with dried thyme.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 2638mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 14g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Comments

    1. Evi @ greenevi says

      March 27, 2017 at 5:03 pm

      Yes! Yes! Yes! I love everything about this recipe! Especially that you added potato to the filling, I'll definitely try this version ๐Ÿ™‚
      And thanks a lot for mentioning my recipe <3

      Reply
    2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      March 27, 2017 at 3:18 pm

      I totally remember those songs! Oh, nostalgia! There's a 90's tour going around and they are coming here with a bunch of 90's artists. I'm sure it will sell out!
      My grandmother makes really good cabbage rolls with ground beef and I've made a version before. So good! But, I've never had a vegan version. These sound delicious and something that I would love. Perfect for this cold weather we still have!

      Reply
    3. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says

      March 27, 2017 at 3:52 am

      Music is filled with emotion and always builds memories! Nothing like an old song to take you back! These cabbage rolls sound great!

      Reply
    4. mjskitchen says

      March 27, 2017 at 12:18 am

      Not sure if I've ever seen fermented cabbage leaves. Going to have to look for them because these cabbage rolls look like something we would enjoy. I'm not usually a fan of cabbage rolls, but I do love fermented foods because they add such a tasty tang to dishes. Thanks for sharing this recipe Adina!

      Reply
    5. Chris Scheuer says

      March 26, 2017 at 9:56 pm

      Music and food certainly can bring us back in time.
      These cabbage rolls look amazing! Wish I was dining at your house ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 27, 2017 at 6:56 am

        Anytime your in Germany, Chris. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Liz says

      March 26, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      Adina, I am wondering if you have/would share your recipe for the traditional sarmale (the meat version)? I am hosting a Romanian wine night at our house next weekend and will be making several dishes, including sarmale with mamaliga (thank you for your mamaliga recipe!). So excited that I found your site and all the Romanian recipes! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 27, 2017 at 6:55 am

        Hi Liz. Thank you for the nice words. ๐Ÿ™‚ I would like to post the recipe for sarmale, but not as soon as you need it, I am afraid. If you would like I can write the recipe and send it to you by email. Let me know.

        Reply
        • Liz says

          March 28, 2017 at 5:29 pm

          Thanks SO much, Adina! I sent you an email - hopefully you got it.

        • Adina says

          March 29, 2017 at 8:54 am

          Recipe sent. ๐Ÿ™‚

    7. Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says

      March 26, 2017 at 5:43 pm

      It's amazing how music can transport us, isn't it? Food's the same way, I think... and while I've never had this type of cabbage roll, it sounds amazing and like something I must try soon!! XO

      Reply
    8. Rosa says

      March 26, 2017 at 8:03 am

      The 90's was a great decade! The music, the fashion, the dancing! I miss it all. Life changes once you start having kids life changes but I wouldn't trade them for the world. ๐Ÿ™‚

      I was pleasantly surprised to read that you sing along to Italian and Spanish songs! Do you speak both languages? Italian is my mother tongue, but I don't speak Spanish as well as I used to, when I was in college. Same with French. The only foreign language stuck in my head these days is German. Oh my gosh, it's not an easy language to speak but I still somehow make myself understood. LOL I'm wondering if you learnt German in Romania?

      I love your cabbage rolls! Mom always made them with ground meat but your vegan recipe sounds delicious!! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 26, 2017 at 9:30 am

        I would not change my life now either (I really would not want to be a teenager ... ๐Ÿ™‚ ) but still I get so nostalgic when I hear those songs I used to love (or hate) during those days. I speak Italian and Spanish and French (Latin languages like Romanian) or better said I used to, I was fluent during those days, but I kind of lost it now, I never use those languages at all. But I still understand pretty much everything I would say and manage to make myself understood if I really want to. I've learnt German in Germany, but I was very diligent with the dictionary during those days as well, I had to know everything what Howard and Jason and so on where up to... ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    9. Monica says

      March 26, 2017 at 3:56 am

      Yes, songs from the 90s bring back a lot of memories! As for the cabbage rolls, I drool! For whatever reason, I always drool over cabbage rolls but to be honest, I don't know if I've ever really had them?! I'm just realizing this. I do eat a lot of cabbage so hopefully that counts. Looks very yummy!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 26, 2017 at 9:24 am

        Cabbage rolls are really special, no matter what they are filled with. They involve a lot of work, I admit, that is why I don't make them as often as I would like to, but when I do they are always a such a pleasure to eat. ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope you will try them one day.

        Reply
    10. Balvinder says

      March 26, 2017 at 12:00 am

      I had these at a party and they were so good. I thought to try at home but I had hard time peeling the cabbage. Then a slovak friend told me to use sour cabbage which is already parboiled and easier to separate the leaves. I haven't tried with it yet.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 26, 2017 at 9:21 am

        It is easier with sour cabbage indeed, but if you like to use fresh cabbage: generously remove the core of the cabbage, then bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt and a little vinegar and put the cabbage inside. let cook and keep separating the outer leaves as soon as they are soft enough and come off the core easily. Let them drain while the rest of the cabbage continues to cook and keep going until all the leaves are separated. It takes a bit of time, but it is easy and the result really worth it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    11. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      March 25, 2017 at 3:53 pm

      I wish my husband ate cabbage rolls...these look so delicious with rice filling.

      Reply
    12. KR says

      March 25, 2017 at 3:11 pm

      Back to 90s ...:)
      Brrr.. it was not my favourite time. I mean music.
      But yes, I was 20 years younger and everything was so promising ๐Ÿ™‚ oehhh...
      thank you for this nostalgic trip:)

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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