Mushroom and Rice Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce
Cabbage leaves wrapped around mushrooms, rice, onion and carrots in tomato sauce.
The source pairs one cabbage with a cup of rice, half a kilogram of mushrooms and tomato juice. Its brief 30 to 40 minute bake is unreliable if the rice is still raw and the leaves are firm. Part-cook the rice first and soften the cabbage leaves in hot water so they roll without tearing. Fry the mushrooms until their released moisture evaporates, then combine with carrot, onion and rice. Put a little tomato juice into the filling and the rest over the rolls, adding water as needed to keep the baking pan moist. Cover and cook until the rice is fully tender. Finish with chopped herbs and serve with the pan juices.
Recipe card
Mushroom and Rice Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce
Equipment: Large pot, skillet, covered baking dish
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare leaves and rice
Blanch cabbage leaves until pliable; cook rice until partially tender and drain.
Make filling
Sauté onion, mushrooms and carrots in oil until softened and mushroom moisture evaporates; mix with rice, filling tomato juice and seasoning.
Roll
Trim thick cabbage ribs, divide filling among leaves and fold into tight rolls.
Cook
Arrange seam-side down in baking dish, add sauce tomato juice and enough water to cover bottom; cover and bake at 180°C for 50–60 minutes until rice is fully tender.
Serve
Rest briefly, spoon over pan juices and garnish with herbs.
How to tell when it is ready
Cabbage soft and rice fully cooked in center of every roll.
Tips
- Part-cook rice before rolling.
- Blanch leaves until flexible.
- Cook off mushroom moisture.
- Check center of a roll for tender rice.
Troubleshooting
- If leaves crack, blanch them longer.
- If rice is firm, add cooking liquid and continue covered baking.
Substitutions
- Use vegetable broth for the added water.
- Use a similar edible mushroom mix in the same weight.
Variations
- Use mixed mushrooms for deeper flavor.
- Finish with extra chopped dill.
Serving suggestions
- Add fresh dill.
- Spoon over tomato sauce.
- Serve with crusty bread.
- Offer with cucumber salad.
Make ahead
Prepare ingredients ahead and keep perishable items cold until cooking or serving.
Storage
Refrigerate covered up to 3 days or freeze cooked portions.
Food safety
Rice must cook fully; cool and refrigerate rice-containing leftovers promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Is 30 minutes enough for raw rice in cabbage?
Often not. Part-cook rice and bake until a test roll is fully tender.
How should I store vegetarian cabbage rolls with mushrooms and rice?
Refrigerate covered up to 3 days or freeze cooked portions.
Check the rice inside one cabbage roll before serving.
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