Recipe: Stuffed Cabbage | Andrew Zimmern

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey reduces fat while maintaining flavor.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water + bouillon cubes

Water with bouillon is a cost-effective alternative.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is a budget-friendly option.

tomato sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade tomato puree

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are often less expensive.

Start by par cooking 3/4 cup of rice in boiling water for 10 minutes and then drain it.

Remove the core from the cabbage and place it in a pot of barely simmering water at about 208°F.

Hold the cabbage down in the water to allow it to blanch, then pull off the leaves once they release easily.

If necessary, use a knife to cut more of the core out to help with leaf separation.

Let the blanched leaves come to room temperature before stuffing them.

Preheat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add 2 diced onions to the pan and caramelize until golden brown.

Add 3 sliced garlic cloves to the onions and cook until they are soft and glassy.

Add about a tablespoon of chopped red Fresno chili to the onion and garlic mixture for warmth.

Mince a handful of fresh dill (about 1/3 cup) and divide it in half, adding half to a large bowl and the other half to the rice mixture.

Add a teaspoon of oregano to both the rice and the large bowl with dill.

Season both mixtures with ground pepper, salt, and Hungarian paprika.

Add the caramelized onions to the rice mixture.

In the large bowl, combine the rice mixture with 1 pound of ground pork and 1 pound of finely diced chuck beef.

Char a red pepper over an open flame until the skin is blackened, then peel it and puree it for the sauce.

Add about a tablespoon of sugar to the pureed pepper.

Prepare to stuff the cabbage leaves by placing a piece of cabbage in a bowl, adding meat on top, and sealing it with another cabbage piece.

Cut off any large ribs from the cabbage leaves to make rolling easier.

Form a ball of stuffing, fold the ends of the cabbage over, and press down to seal.

Place the stuffed cabbage rolls into a roasting pan, nestling them together.

Pour the prepared sauce over the stuffed cabbage rolls and drizzle with more olive oil.

Bake in a 350°F oven.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens