Beef and Rice Stuffed Cabbage with Tangy Tomato Sauce

Hearty cabbage leaves generously filled with a seasoned ground beef and rice mixture, gently simmered in a rich, tangy tomato sauce for a comforting and satisfying meal.

• Prep: 50 min
• Cook: 1 hr 15 min
• Total: 2 hr 5 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: Uzbek
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $5.45/serving

Dietary

• Gluten-Free
• Nut-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• comfort food
• savory
• rich
• bake
• roast

Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage (large)
• 2 pound ground beef (lean (85% lean))
• 1 yellow onion (medium, finely diced)
• 0.5 cup white rice (uncooked, rinsed)
• 0.25 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 0.5 cup sour cream (for serving)
• 0.25 cup fresh dill (chopped)

Instructions

1. Prepare the cabbage leaves: Core the cabbage. In a large pot of boiling water, immerse the whole cabbage. Cook for 5-10 minutes, removing softened outer leaves as they peel away. Continue until you have about 10-12 usable leaves. Cut out any tough veins from the base of each leaf.
2. Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the lean ground beef, finely diced yellow onion, rinsed uncooked white rice, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well by hand until thoroughly combined.
3. Assemble the rolls: Lay a cabbage leaf flat. Place about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the meat mixture at the stem end. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll tightly from the bottom up. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
4. Prepare the sauce: In a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to a simmer.
5. Place the stuffed cabbage rolls snugly into the simmering sauce, seam-side down. If you have extra small cabbage pieces, you can place them on the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching, or on top. The rolls should be mostly submerged in the sauce.
6. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 70-75 minutes, or until the cabbage is very tender and the rice and beef are cooked through.
7. Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream and an optional sprinkle of fresh dill on each serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 610
• Protein: 51.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 46.1 g
• Fat: 25.5 g
• Fiber: 7.5 g
• Sodium: 1400 mg
• Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
• Sugar: 12.3 g
• Cholesterol: 130 mg