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I wish I had some personal story from my history to talk about with this stuffed cabbage recipe, but really, this one all goes back to my all-time favorite cooking inspiration, Ina Garten. Her recipe uses ground beef and white rice, but I’ve amped up the nutrition by using ground turkey and brown rice instead. These substitutions help me feel a little better about the brown sugar and raisins in the sauce, meaning I can eat more than one serving and not feel too guilty about it.
I haven’t made this recipe in years but started having a craving for it after listening to an episode of the Local Mouthful podcast where they talk about their own stuffed cabbage recipes. In these overwhelming and anxiety-riddled times, it’s been nice to revisit old, comforting recipes that feel like a warm hug in a bowl. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed eating it. If you’re looking for more dinner inspiration, make sure to check out my other recipes here. The Lemon Pistachio Pasta recipe is one of my quick and easy favorites that relies heavily on pantry ingredients, which makes it perfect for us now. Enjoy!
Turkey and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
Servings: 5 (2 rolls per serving)
Total Time: 2 hours
Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head green cabbage
Turkey Filling
16 ounces ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tomato Sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil; then, add the onions and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until the onions are just starting to soften.
Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Prep the Cabbage: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the core of the cabbage with a paring knife.
Lower the head of cabbage into the water, then turn the heat to low. Allow the cabbage to soften in the hot water for a few minutes, then, using tongs, start peeling off leaves one at a time as soon as they’re flexible. You will need 10 medium to large-sized leaves total.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the hard rib from the base of each cabbage leaf by cutting a triangle with a small paring knife. Set the leaves aside while you make the filling.
For the Turkey Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
To Assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch oven-safe dish with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
Add 1/3 cup of the filling in a rough oval shape towards the rib edge of each leaf. Roll towards the outer edge, tucking in the sides as you roll it up. They don’t have to be perfect, you just want to make sure the filling is surrounded by the leaf.
Place the rolls, seam side down, in the prepared pan, and top with the remaining sauce.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the filling is cooked through and the rice is tender.
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