Vegetarian Italian stuffed cabbage rolls are a fun and tasty way to enjoy a wholesome dish with minimal effort. Full of nutritious vegetables and filling rice, these veggie and rice stuffed rolls make a hearty, flavorful meal you’ll feel good about serving to your family for dinner.
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Video Recipe
Italian Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Italian vegetarian cabbage rolls are a filling, complete meal that you can serve as an appetizer, meal, or even as a side.
These versatile rolls use a combination of veggies and rice to create a tasty treat that is hard to resist.
Our rolls are super easy to make because we steam the cabbage leaves in the Instant Pot before attempting to assemble them.
And best of all, these rolls are ready to eat in less than a half hour, so you can make them just about any night of the week.
Cabbage Roll Ingredients
For the best tasting cabbage rolls, you’ll need to make sure you have the following ingredients:
- Cabbage head - You can use either green or red cabbage.
- Butter or olive oil - To keep it vegan, use olive oil.
- Yellow onion - A white or red onion will also work for this.
- Mushrooms - You can use your favorite type of mushroom like white or portobello.
- Rice - You can use leftovers or cook a fresh batch of rice for the stuffing.
- Carrots - Make sure you peel and dice the carrots first.
- Seasonings - We use parsley, oregano, salt, and fresh garlic cloves.
- Water
- Marinara sauce - You can use your favorite sauce or follow our recipe to make a delicious homemade version.
- Garnish - We use both sour cream and chives as a garnish.
How to prepare cabbage for stuffing
First, core the cabbage. cut of the stem of the cabbage. Pierce a fork into the core of the cabbage. Insert a knife around the cabbage core and move the knife in circular motion to remove the core. Make sure you check out the video to see how easy it is to core a cabbage for cabbage rolls.
Then pour one cup of water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and then add in the trivet.
Next, place the cored cabbage onto the trivet with the cored side down.
Once the cabbage is in place, close the lid, seal the vent, and pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. For smaller heads, use 6 minutes and for larger heads use 8 minutes.
When the timer goes off, do a quick release of pressure.
Carefully open the lid and place the cabbage aside.
How do you prepare stuffing for cabbage rolls
First, turn on the Saute function and melt the butter or heat the oil in the inner pot.
Next, add the onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, parsley, and oregano to the butter or oil and give it all a stir.
Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes or until the veggies soften. Next, add the cooked or leftover rice and mix well.
Once the rice heats through, pour the mixture out into a bowl and set aside.
How to make Cabbage Rolls
When the cabbage and stuffing are ready, it is time to make and stuff the rolls.
To start, remove the outer layers of the cabbage carefully one at a time. Take each leaf and cut about an inch of the tough end off.
Next take a couple tablespoons of the stuffing and place it in the middle of the leaf.
Start by folding the sides of the leaf over the filling and then start rolling the leaf bottom to top to make a roll.
Keep repeating the process until you run out of stuffing or leaves.
Before serving, pour the marinara sauce onto a shallow plate and then arrange a couple cabbage rolls on the plate. Garnish the rolls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.
Serve and enjoy!
Pro tips and tricks
When making cabbage rolls, make sure to follow these easy tips and tricks:
- Don’t skip softening the cabbage in the Instant Pot. You can add more or less time to make them softer or firmer if you like.
- Use leftover rice as part of the stuffing.
- For the best flavor, use a homemade marinara sauce.
What is the best kind of cabbage for cabbage rolls?
There are a variety of cabbages you can use for cabbage rolls. Green, Savoy, Napa or even Chinese Cabbage.
How do you peel cabbage for this cabbage rolls recipe?
When working with cabbage, it is a good idea to peel the outer layer or two of the cabbage first. Once they are gone, remove the whole leaves while leaving them as intact as possible. Try not to tear the leaves as you pull them apart.
Why are my cabbage rolls tough?
Chances are, if your cabbage rolls are too tough, they didn’t cook long enough. Cooking a cabbage roll needs to be done carefully so that they are not so tough they don’t taste good and not so soft that they fall apart too easily.
What to serve with Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage rolls are a filling appetizer or side dish. You can serve them alongside your favorite Italian-inspired meals, like our Instant Pot Vegan Spaghetti Noodles or Spaghetti Aglio E Olio, Breadsticks, Ciabatta, Dinner Rolls, Minestrone Soup, Lentil Soup, for a great flavor combination
How to store this recipe for Cabbage Rolls
To store the cabbage rolls, allow them to cool completely. Once they are cooled, place them in an airtight container. Try not to bunch them too closely together to avoid breaking them apart.
Once you have them arranged, you can place them in the fridge to retain their freshness for several days.
How long will Stuffed Cabbage Rolls last in the refrigerator?
Leftover cabbage rolls will last between 3 to 5 days.
If you plan to make them ahead, do not submerge them in marinara sauce. Instead, cook them fully and then place them in an airtight container before placing them in the fridge.
Once you reheat them, you can add fresh marinara sauce to the rolls and serve.
Do cabbage rolls freeze well?
You can freeze cabbage rolls, but it is a bit tricky. You’ll want to allow them to cool down completely in the fridge before attempting to freeze them. Once they are cool, you can place them in a freezer safe container and store them for about 4 months.
When reheating, make sure you thaw them in the fridge overnight. You can then heat them in the microwave before serving.
More Italian Recipes that you enjoy
- Marinara Sauce
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Wildrice Mushroom Soup
- Penne Pomodoro
- Arrabiatta Pasta
- Aglio E Olio
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious stuffed cabbage rolls recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Vegetarian Italian stuffed cabbage rolls are a fun and tasty way to enjoy a wholesome dish with minimal effort. Full of nutritious vegetables and filling rice, these veggie and rice stuffed rolls make a hearty, flavorful meal you’ll feel good about serving to your family for dinner.
Ingredients
- Cabbage head, cored (see video recipe)
- Butter or olive oil 2 tbsp
- Yellow onion finely diced 1
- Garlic 4 cloves
- Mushrooms finely diced, 250 grams or ½ lbs
- Cooked or leftover rice 2 cups
- Carrots 2, finely diced
- Parsley 1 tsp
- Oregano 1 tsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- Water 1 cup
- Marinara sauce 2 cups (check out our homemade sauce)
- Sour cream to garnish
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
How to prepare cabbage for stuffing
First, core the cabbage. cut of the stem of the cabbage. Pierce a fork into the core of the cabbage. Insert a knife around the cabbage core and move the knife in circular motion to remove the core. Make sure you check out the video to see how easy it is to core a cabbage for cabbage rolls.
Then pour one cup of water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and then add in the trivet.
Next, place the cored cabbage onto the trivet with the cored side down.
Once the cabbage is in place, close the lid, seal the vent, and pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. For smaller heads, use 6 minutes and for larger heads use 8 minutes.
When the timer goes off, do a quick release of pressure.
Carefully open the lid and place the cabbage aside.
How do you prepare stuffing for cabbage rolls
First, turn on the Saute function and melt the butter or heat the oil in the inner pot.
Next, add the onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, parsley, and oregano to the butter or oil and give it all a stir.
Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes or until the veggies soften. Next, add the cooked or leftover rice and mix well.
Once the rice heats through, pour the mixture out into a bowl and set aside.
How to make Cabbage Rolls
When the cabbage and stuffing are ready, it is time to make and stuff the rolls.
To start, remove the outer layers of the cabbage carefully one at a time. Take each leaf and cut about an inch of the tough end off.
Next take a couple tablespoons of the stuffing and place it in the middle of the leaf.
Start by folding the sides of the leaf over the filling and then start rolling the leaf bottom to top to make a roll.
Keep repeating the process until you run out of stuffing or leaves.
Before serving, pour the marinara sauce onto a shallow plate and then arrange a couple cabbage rolls on the plate. Garnish the rolls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Pro tips and tricks
When making cabbage rolls, make sure to follow these easy tips and tricks:
Don’t skip softening the cabbage in the Instant Pot. You can add more or less time to make them softer or firmer if you like.
Use leftover rice as part of the stuffing.
For the best flavor, use a homemade marinara sauce.
Recommended Products
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