Prep Time: 40-50 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Makes: 10 rolls
A grain-free AND vegan stuffed cabbage roll recipe that doesn’t use rice, wheat, or quinoa. Make ahead and heat up when you crave a filling and healthy vegan meal or snack. Dish it out as an appetizer or as a main dish. Find a different cabbage roll recipe by An Apron and a Suitcase here.
Ingredients
- 10 large green cabbage leaves, blanched (see method below)
- 4 oz firm tofu
- 4 oz plant-based “ground beef”
- 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 2 tsp dried tarragon, or 1 tbsp minced leaves if using fresh
- 1 tbsp plant-based butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
Method
Bring a medium/large pot of water to a boil.
Rinse the whole cabbage head thoroughly under cold water and carefully place it in the boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes or until the external leaves turn a bright green. Remove from the pot and run under cold water. Set aside.
While the cabbage cools, prepare the stuffing as follows:
Crumble the tofu in a mixing bowl. Beat it with an electric mixer, or blitz in a food processor if you prefer, to obtain a cream. Add the mustard, miso, and tarragon and mix well. Crumble in the plant-based ground beef of your choice (my suggestion is in the notes below) and mix again. Set aside until ready to assemble the cabbage rolls.
Returning to our cabbage, discard one or two outer leaves as they may be a bit tough. Carefully remove 10 whole leaves, with the stem, from the core without tearing them if possible. Place 1 abundant tablespoon of stuffing on leaf, on the side of the stem, and roll half way up, tuck in the sides, and continue to roll. This way the stuffing won’t escape while the cabbage rolls are stewing. Repeat the same steps for the remaining leaves.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Brown the cabbage rolls for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, then add the garlic cloves and vinegar. Cover with the lid and stew on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve with a side of vegan sour cream, horseradish, and/or mustard.
EXTRAS AND TIPS
Taste the stuffing before assembling the rolls to see if it’s salty enough for your liking. For me, the umami flavor that the miso gives out is just enough, but that depends on the personal preference.
I like to use an electric mixer to beat the tofu because I prefer to have some crumbles mixed into the cream. It adds interest to the stuffing.
The plant-based beef that I like to use is the “Smart Ground” by LightLife (https://lightlife.com/product/smart-ground-original/). Any other brand will work fine. I’d like to extend a word of caution about the sodium content, which may vary from product to product. Watch how much miso and salt, if any, you use in the recipe and adjust accordingly.
You’ll only use 10 leaves of the whole cabbage for this recipe; the rest can be sautéed or kept refrigerated for a couple of days for later use.
