Okay, here it is, my mother’s stuffed cabbage – veganized. I’ve been making this for years and it is finally up here on the blog. I followed my mother’s super secret freeze-the-cabbage method so it is easy to peel apart the leaves. And then cooked the stuffed cabbages in a tangy tomato sauce. Everyone loves my version as much as mother’s original, which is a huge compliment. And no animals were harmed in the making of this meal!
Makes a dozen stuffed cabbages
1 regular size white cabbage
1/2 small onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 clove of garlic
8 – 10 white mushrooms (depends on the size)
Salt, a pinch
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
The juice of 1 lemon
1 cup golden raisins
Freeze the cabbage at least a day in advance.
When you are ready to make the cabbages, thaw the cabbage in the sink. Gnetly peel off leaf by leaf until you have them all. Cut the very thick stem off the bottom of each leaf. Place on a plate and set aside.
Place the onions, celery, carrot, garlic and mushrooms into the food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture is chopped up but not mush.
Add the vegetables to a pan, with a pinch of salt, and water or oil sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Place in a bowl and mix the uncooked rice into the vegetables.
Set up a rolling station:
1. the cabbage leaves
2. the vegetable mixture
3. a plate for rolling
4. a plate for the stuffed cabbages.
Place a cabbage leaf on your rolling plate with the stem side facing you. Place a scoop of the vegetable mixture on the end of the cabbage facing you. Roll the cabbage over the mixture and then fold the sides in and then keep rolling until the little cabbage is sealed. Repeat until done.
Note: if you have any extra cabbage leaves and no more filling, just roll the empty cabbages and use them to test doneness.
Pour a bit of tomato sauce on the bottom of Dutch oven. Place stuffed cabbages on the bottom of the pot. Cover with more sauce and add the rest of the cabbages. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle the raisins on top of the cabbages and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Add any extra cabbage leaves you have into the pot.
Place on a high flame and bring to a boil. Cover, but leave the top a bit open, and cook on a lower flame until the cabbage is tender, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve immediately or save for later and reheat if there are any left. If you feel the sauce is too thick, feel free to add some water and swish it around. Enjoy!