Mom's Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

Katzen's Note:

Mom makes GREAT cabbage rolls! So, when I went vegetarian 23 years ago, all was not lost, as Mom started making her cabbage rolls for me without meat. Essentially, they are just that - cabbage rolls without the meat, and I just love them. A couple of years ago, she added veggie grounds (soy ground "beef") to them, and I guess I just love them the regular way, because I didn't like that addition - but, I'll leave that up to you, since you've not spent 23 years enjoying them the regular way. The other fantastic benefit of having Mom make vegetarian cabbage rolls just for me, is that while the rest of the family argues over who gets the leftovers, I get the whole pot of vegetarian ones just for me! :o)

• Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup rice
• 1 small onion
• 2 stalks celery, leaves included
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 (375 g) package vegetarian ground beef, if using (approx 375g)
• 1 medium cabbage or 1 medium sour cabbage
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. If you are using the raw cabbage, turn core side down in dutch oven or soup pot with about 2 inches of water. Cover, and steam on stove until cabbage is pliable. Cool cabbage enough to handle. Cook rice in 2 cups of water only until al dente.
2. Cut each leaf from stem. Remove thick stem part of leaf. At this point decide whether you would like small cabbage rolls or larger ones. Cut each leaf accordingly. Set aside.
3. Chop onion, celery, tomato and mix with rice and vegetarian ground beef, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour a small portion of the tomato liquid from the can in to the bottom of the roasting pan. Place one layer of the cabbage leaves over the liquid to prevent any burning or browning of the cabbage rolls.
5. Place about two tablespoons depending on the size of the leaf in to the middle of one of the cooked leaves. Fold one side over, then the ends. Roll up tightly over the fourth side. Place each cabbage roll tightly beside each other in to the pan.
6. When one layer is complete, pour enough tomato mixture over to cover. Repeat if necessary.
7. Cook at 325 degrees F. for about 2 hours depending on how many layers you have, and how deep your dish is.

Reviews

[ellie_]

Time consuming but very good -- think they will also freeze very well. Served with tossed salad for a very good dinner. Thanks for sharing!

[WhipEggs]

Seriously lacking in flavor. Major disappontment so we ended up having take out food