What goes in borscht? Beets were on sale at my local grocery store and borscht. I love beets and cabbage. Since I knew I wouldn’t need a whole head of cabbage for the borscht, I decided to try another recipe popular in Eastern European cuisine as well: basic cabbage rolls. The savoy cabbage was actually a good idea because I think it actually facilitated the making of my basic cabbage rolls. I opted for a simple recipe, but I’m already thinking of variations, like adding in more vegetables, marinating the beef beforehand, and using prepared tomato sauces (the chunky flavored stuff) instead of condensed tomato soup.
My Super Basic Cabbage Rolls
Print RecipeIngredients
- ⅔ cup (170 milliliter) water
- ⅓ cup (85 milliliter) uncooked white rice
- 8 cabbage leaves (I used savoy, which is untraditional but pretty and easier to roll)
- 1 pound (454 grams) lean ground beef
- ¼ cup (125 milliliter) chopped onion
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliter) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1 milliliter) ground black pepper
- 1 can (10-ounce/284 milliliter) low-sodium condensed tomato soup
Instructions
1. Get a medium saucepan and, fill it with water, bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add rice and stir. Then, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Bring a large, wide saucepan or wok. Lightly salt the water and bring it to a boil. Next, add the cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain.
3. While waiting for the cabbage leaves to cook, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper, along with 30 milliliter (2 tablespoons) of tomato soup. Stir the mixture thoroughly.
4. Once the cabbage is cooked, divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Roll, tucking the stem end underneath.
5. Use a large skillet and bring it over medium heat. Next, place the cabbage rolls and pour the remaining tomato soup over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.
Notes:
This recipe is an excellent source of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium—a good source of vitamins B6 and K.
