Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

You have just come across the tastiest Bulgarian deconstructed cabbage rolls. If you love cabbage rolls, which we call “Sarmi” in Bulgaria, but don’t want the headache of rolling and stuffing for hours, you are not alone. This is our Mom’s secret recipe that tastes just like the traditional cabbage rolls we all love. This dish is comfort food at its finest, so we hope you enjoy!

What stands out

In today’s day and age, when everyone is busy and on the go unstuffed cabbage rolls also known as deconstructed cabbage rolls, are a and straightforward-to-make alternative to the traditional dish. This recipe combines all the flavors of a classic roll without the fuss of stuffing individual leaves.

Swaps

There are so many ways to mix up the flavors and ingredients in deconstructed cabbage rolls:

• Instead of pork, try making this with ground beef, lamb or a combination of 1 or 2 ground meats.
• For a plant-based version experiment withvegan “ground meat”.
• If you want extra flavor you can also sauté the onions with diced bacon, as bacon and cabbage are a match made in heaven.

Serve it with

• No-Knead Peasant Bread
• No-Knead Gluten-Free Bread.
• Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread

Similar Recipes

If you’re in the mood to make soups, don’t forget to check out our soup recipes:

• Pastina Soup
• Greek Lemon Soup
• The Best Lentil Soup
• Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup
• Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Healthiest Cream of Hidden Veggie Soup
• Hidden Veggie Meatball Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup

What other ground meat can we use for these cabbage rolls?

You can use any ground meat of choice such as pork, veal, beef, turkey, or a combination of meats.

What salt do you use?

We cook with Redmond Real Salt, but you can use any you like. However, be mindful that the saltiness of a dish will depend on the type of salt you use. Some are more coarse and some more fine, so you will always have to taste and adjust.

How can we make this recipe vegetarian or vegan?

You can certainly try experimenting with a plant-based u0022ground meatu0022 alternative.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

• 500 grams ground meat, we like pork
• ⅓ cup avocado oil, or any
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons paprika, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dry oregano
• ¾ cup jasmine rice, or long grain
• 1 medium cabbage chopped
• ½ cup hot water, for the cabbage
• 1 cup hot water, for the baking dish
• fresh chopped dill

Equipment

• Soup Pot
• Baking Dish
• Redmond Real Salt
• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board

Method

1. In a large pan on medium-high heat add the oil. Add the ground meat, break it up and fry until it’s caramelized and there’s no moisture. The water has to evaporate for the meat to begin to brown.
2. Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste, seasonings, and rice as you stir in between. Take it off the heat and set aside.
3. Cut the cabbage (like you would cut an onion). Cut it in half, each halve into lengthwise strips and then cut across. Add a little bit of salt on top and massage it with clean hands for about a minute to draw out the moisture and to soften it.
4. Add the cabbage to a large pot on the stove with 1/2 cup of hot water and let it reduce as you stir on medium-high heat. You have to stir a few times so that the cabbage has reduced by at least a third.
5. Add the meat and rice mixture to the reduced cabbage in the pot. Add extra paprika and salt if needed and stir.
6. Take it out and pour into a baking dish with an additional cup of hot water, cover with foil and bake at 400F for 35 min. open it and let it broil for a few min on top. Dill for garnish, and enjoy.