Vegan cabbage rolls, an Easter appetizer that isn’t quiche, souffle, or asparagus wrapped in puff pastry. These cabbage rolls are light, healthy, quick to make, and a plant-based delight to eat.
I thought of this combination while trying to find ways to use cabbage other than braised, roasted, cut into a soup, or shredded into a taco. The dish that inspired me was German rouladen, pickles and bacon tightly rolled into a this strip of beef, which is then encased in a cabbage leaf.
No beef, no problem! I used flavorful plant-based turkey and bacon slices to create a quick and light vegan alternative to an otherwise meaty dish. Perfect as an hors-d’œuvre for an Easter brunch, the cabbage rolls are also delectable to eat as a cold appetizer the next day.
Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 20-22 min | Makes: 12 | Difficulty Level: ♦ – Easy-Peasy
the cabbage rolls
- 1 Cabbage Head – medium
- 12 “Turkey” Slices – plant-based
- 12 “Bacon” Slices – plant-based
- 6 Pickles – spears
- 12 tsp Mustard – stone ground, or Dijon
- Sour Cream – vegan (optional)
- Alfalfa Sprouts (optional)
On to the Rolls
On a cutting board, cut the 6 pickle spears in half widthwise (not lengthwise) to obtain a total of 12 pieces. Set aside until ready to assemple the cabbage rolls.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While you wait for the water to reach the boiling point, thoroughly rinse the cabbage WHOLE under cold water. When the water boils, gently submerge the cabbage head and cook for 10 minutes, until the external leaves turn a brighter green than the original color. Remove cabbage from the boiling water and run under cold water, until cool enough to handle.
Carefully remove the cabbage leaves from the core, keeping them whole and without tears. Flatten gently on a cutting board.
Now that you have your flattened leaves, you are ready to roll. Take a cabbage leaf, spread a 1 tsp of mustard in the center and layer a slice of turkey, a slice of bacon and 1 piece of pickle over the mustard. The pickle should be perpendicular to the direction in which you plan to roll the cabbage leaf – for example, if rolling from bottom to top, place the pickle running from left to right. Take the bottom extremity of the leaf, roll up tightly halfway through, tuck in the sides, and continue to roll through the end.
Repeat the same steps for the 11 remaining leaves. The rest of the cabbage can be sautéed or kept refrigerated for a couple of days for later use.
Place the cabbage rolls in a large terracotta pan, add a little water and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes covered by a lid.
Serve warm with sour cream and sprouts for an extra Spring-y touch.
EXTRAS AND TIPS
I recommend that you cut the whole pickle spears in half, or they will be too long to wrap into the cabbage leaf. On this topic, the cabbage must be boiled whole, so that you can retrieve whole leaves. Try to remove the leaves from the core with as much care as you can muster. If they tear, you will still be able to assemble the appetizers, even though wrapping the ingredients in broken leaves will be more difficult and time consuming.
Suggestions for the vegan deli slices: https://lightlife.com/our-food/
