Anyone who has ever made cabbage rolls will know that it takes time to prepare them. If got that time at hand – no problem! If not, well… there is a quicker way: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls! Also known as Lazy Cabbage Rolls. ;P They are so good and tasty and really easy to prepare. I am sure you will love them (as much as we do)!
Cabbage rolls are known all over the world. They are all a bit different – different types of cabbage used, different fillings… but the idea behind it is the same. Cabbage rolls most likely have their origins in the Eastern Mediterranean. People in that area started early on with stuffing veggie leaves with all kinds of fillings. The idea of stuffing something into veggie leaves made it way up north at some point. I mean Germany. ;P Well… instead of wine leaves, we thought cabbage leaves could work too – and they did! Since cabbage is one of the few veggies that’s available throughout winter, this was only logical I guess.
That could be the story of cabbage rolls. However, it could also be that somewhere up in Northern Europe, a grandma got tired of cabbage soup and came up with cabbage rolls instead. Which travelled to Southern Europe at some point. Who knows. When you have a dish that is prepared quite similarly in a lot of countries, it can be a bit difficult to pinpoint the origins.
Anyway. Cabbage rolls are delicious. Unfortunately, the preparation is a bit time-consuming. Just because they are quicker ready, I prefer the »deconstructed« version over the classic rolls. You save a few steps and have less work at the end. It’s always nice when you don’t have to work in the kitchen for too long, isn’t it? The oven does most of the work here… everything else is easy-peasy and done quickly.
By »deconstructed« I don’t mean that all components of a cabbage roll are served separately. Something you might expect in a Michelin Star restaurant. No, no. I am not serving everything separated so you can mix it together on your plate. That would be stupid. ;P I’ll save everyone that additional step here. I throw everything into a big pot and let the oven do its work. So you could say »big mishmash« instead of deconstructed. My grandma used to say – everything you eat will come together in your stomach anyway. ;P
Anyway. These Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are part of the little »Bake Together – The Baking Surprise« event we are celebrating here once a month. My lovely blogger colleague Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte and moi are baking/cooking once a month, based on a topic we chose beforehand. Each of us in their kitchen and then we surprise each other with the results.
This month’s topic is »cabbage from the oven«. It’s winter in Germany right now and cabbage is basically the only thing you can get in supermarkets besides potatoes… just kidding. But not. It’s regional, seasonal, and delicious (if you know how to prepare it properly).
Well. If you ever want to try a classic cabbage roll recipe, you check out my German Savoy Cabbage Rolls. They take longer to prepare, but are worth the extra effort (in case you got the time for it). You want something with cabbage even quicker than these lazy cabbage rolls? Well… then you should try my German Schupfnudeln & Cabbage Skillet. That one should be ready in less than 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(6 servings)
For the unstuffed cabbage rolls:
some oil for frying
1 large onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
17.6 oz. (500g) miced meat (beef & pork mixed)
8.8 oz. (250g) uncooked rice
1 tbsp. mustard
1 pointed cabbage (about 45 oz./1,3kg), in pieces
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. died thyme
salt, pepper
2 cups (500ml) veggie broth
25 oz. (700g) tomato passata*
1 can (14 oz./400g) cherry tomatoes*
2 bay leaves
For the sour cream topping:
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 stalks of dill, chopped
some chili flakes
salt, pepper
some extra chopped dill for decorations
(6 Personen)
Für den Spitzkohl:
etwas Öl zum Anbraten
1 große Zwiebel, gewürfelt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
500g gemischtes Hackfleisch
250g Reis (ungekocht)
1 EL Senf (mittelscharf)
1 kl. Spitzkohl (etwa 1,3kg), in Stücken
2 TL Oregano
1 TL Thymian
Salz, Pfeffer
500ml Gemüsebrühe
700g Tomaten Passata*
1 Dose (400g) Kirschtomaten*
2 Lorbeerblätter
Für das Schmand-Topping:
200g Schmand
1/2 TL Zitronensaft
1-2 Stängel Dill, gehackt
einige Chiliflocken
Salz, Pfeffer
noch mehr gehackten Dill zum Garnieren
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Peel the onion and garlic – dice the onion and chop the garlic finely. Remove the outer leaves of the pointed cabbage, if necessary, cut into quarters, remove the stem, and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat up a large Dutch oven* with some oil. Add the diced onion and chopped garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the minced meat and fry/cook until nicely browned – takes about 4-5 minutes. Next, mix in the uncooked rice and mustard and let cook with the rest with a minute or so. Add the cabbage and cook for about 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly. Season with the dried oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the cabbage with the veggie broth, then add the tomato passata, canned cherry tomatoes, and bay leaves. Make sure everything is well mixed in. Let everything come to a boil once, then close the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the oven. Let the unstuffed cabbage rolls braise for about 55-60 minutes.
3. For the topping, mix the sour cream with lemon juice and chopped dill. Season with some chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Serve the cabbage in bowls with some sour cream sauce on top and sprinkled with more chopped dill. Enjoy!
1. Die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen – die Zwiebel würfeln und den Knoblauch fein hacken. Die äußeren Blätter des Spitzkohls entfernen, falls notwendig, dann längs vierteln, den Strunk entfernen und in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden. Zur Seite stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf mit Deckel*, der in den Ofen darf, mit etwas Öl erhitzen. Zwiebel und Knoblauch in den Topf geben und glasig andünsten. Das Hackfleisch dazugeben und krümelig anbraten, bis das Fleisch schön gebräunt ist – dauert etwa 4-5 Minuten. Den ungekochten Reis und den Senf untermischen und dann etwa eine Minute mit dem Fleisch anbraten. Den Spitzkohl dazugeben und unter ständigem Rühren etwa 2-3 Minuten mit anbraten. Mit Oregano, Thymian, Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Den Kohl mit der Gemüsebrühe ablöschen, dann Tomaten Passata, Kirschtomaten aus der Dose und die Lorbeerblätter dazugeben. Alles gut vermengen und einmal aufkochen lassen, dann den Topf mit dem Deckel schließen und in den vorgeheizten Ofen stellen. Den Kohl für etwa 55-60 Minuten schmoren lassen.
3. Für das Schmand-Topping den Schmand mit Zitronensaft und gehacktem Dill verrühren. Mit Chiliflocken, Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Den Kohl in Schüsseln mit Schmand und etwas zusätzlichem Dill bestreut servieren. Guten Appetit!
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Unstuffed (Lazy) Cabbage Rolls
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 01:00
- Total Time: 01:20
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Description
These Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are for the lazy ones… we love to make them in winter. Less work, more fun in the kitchen! ;P
Ingredients
For the unstuffed cabbage rolls:
some oil for frying
1 large onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
17.6 oz. (500g) miced meat (beef & pork mixed)
8.8 oz. (250g) uncooked rice
1 tbsp. mustard
1 pointed cabbage (about 45 oz./1,3kg), in pieces
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. died thyme
salt, pepper
2 cups (500ml) veggie broth
25 oz. (700g) tomato passata*
1 can (14 oz./400g) cherry tomatoes*
2 bay leaves
For the sour cream topping:
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 stalks of dill, chopped
some chili flakes
salt, pepper
some extra chopped dill for decorations
Instructions
1. Peel the onion and garlic – dice the onion and chop the garlic finely. Remove the outer leaves of the pointed cabbage, if necessary, cut into quarters, remove the stem, and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat up a large Dutch oven* with some oil. Add the diced onion and chopped garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the minced meat and fry/cook until nicely browned – takes about 4-5 minutes. Next, mix in the uncooked rice and mustard and let cook with the rest with a minute or so. Add the cabbage and cook for about 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly. Season with the dried oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the cabbage with the veggie broth, then add the tomato passata, canned cherry tomatoes, and bay leaves. Make sure everything is well mixed in. Let everything come to a boil once, then close the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the oven. Let the unstuffed cabbage rolls braise for about 55-60 minutes.
3. For the topping, mix the sour cream with lemon juice and chopped dill. Season with some chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Serve the cabbage in bowls with some sour cream sauce on top and sprinkled with more chopped dill. Enjoy!
Notes
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