Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I remember my mom making cabbage rolls smothered in tomato sauce when I was little...And I wasn't a fan. That, coupled with the fact that I was intimidated by the idea they would be a nightmare to make, kept me from recreating them as an adult.

But I came across a recipe that looked delicious, and months went by where each head of cabbage I picked up would sit in the fridge until eventually used for something else. Finally, I decided I needed to put on my big girl panties and give these a shot.

The recipe I used as a base to create these was from Eat Yourself Lean. And I was shocked at how easy they were to make, and more importantly, how unbelievably delicious they were. The best part about the filling is that it can be easily modified based on the ingredients you have on hand (See below for modifications).

Some people asked if it needed a sauce on top... No. The flavor is so rich and the texture is perfect that adding sauce to this would lose the entire point of this meal. We ate ours like a burrito, but I did leave some of the filling outside the cabbage for my daughter to eat. The verdict is still out on whether or not my 20 month old actually enjoyed the cabbage roll. She ate hers with an unpleasant face, all the while saying, "Yummy!" But my husband and I loved ours and were stuffed after one roll!

What you need:

8 Cabbage Leaves

2 cups cooked millet

2 cups finely chopped cooked broccoli

1 cup cooked green peas

1 cup cooked fava beans

1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

1/2 cup fresh basil

Juice of 1 lemon

5 cloves garlic

2 tsp nutritional yeast

Sea salt and pepper to taste

* 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

* 1/3 cup water

* You can use 1/2 cup water in place of this if you are avoiding oil.

What you do:

1. Slowly and carefully peel away each cabbage leaf and remove the tough base. Steam the cabbage leaves until tender (about 5 - 10 minutes) and set aside.

2. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine, cooked green peas, cooked fave beans, roasted pine nuts, fresh basil, lemon, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and water, and blend until smooth.

3. Combine cooked millet, chopped cooked broccoli, and sauce and stir to incorporate. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

4. On a clean work surface, lay one cabbage leaf and scoop about 3/4 filling along the spine of your cabbage. Roll one side of the cabbage leaf over the mixture and bring the other side up to cover the seal. Seal the ends by tucking them into the opening. Serve hot or cold. Makes about 8 cabbage rolls.

Enjoy!

Modifications:

Millet: Quinoa, Rice, Barley

Fava Beans: Chickpeas, navy beans, cannellini beans, black eyed-peas

Broccoli: Cauliflower, spinach, kale, carrots, celery, green peas, peppers, etc.

Pine Nuts: Cashews, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower seeds

Green Peas: Spinach, Kale, broccoli, any greens

You can really play around with this recipe to create a cabbage roll that suits what you have in  your kitchen...there's no "right way" to fill these! 

Nutrition Info per roll:

Calories: 140

Fat: 28 g (Due to Pine Nuts)

Saturated Fat: 0.2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 30 mg

Carbohydrates: 22 g

Fiber: 13 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 7 g

Are you a fan of cabbage rolls? How do you fill them? Would love to hear your comments below!

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