Description
These savory vegetarian cabbage rolls are filled with a hearty, umami-rich mixture of tofu, mushrooms, walnuts, and aromatics, then baked in a flavorful vegetable broth with miso and tomato paste instead of traditional tomato sauce. They’re a cozy, satisfying winter meal and a special meatless main dish for holiday dinners!
Ingredients
- 1 large head Savoy cabbage, Napa cabbage, or standard green cabbage
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 6 ounces trumpet mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 large carrot, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
- 8 ounces super firm tofu, crumbled by hand into small pieces
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari, plus extra as needed
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons mellow miso paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Mashed potatoes for serving, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Place a medium bowl of ice water on the counter along with a clean kitchen towel.
- Remove and discard any of the outer loose leaves of the cabbage. Trim off the very bottom of the cabbage and discard. Carefully remove individual leaves by making an incision at the bottom of each leaf where it attaches to the core. Loosen the leaf at the base first, then loosen it at the top in order to remove it. You’ll need around 10-15 leaves depending on the size of your cabbage. Save the remaining cabbage for another recipe, like this caramelized cabbage pasta.
- Once the water comes to a boil, work in batches and submerge 2-4 leaves at a time in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they soften. Remove the leaves and dunk in the ice water for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking, then on to the clean kitchen towel to dry. Once you finish all of the leaves, use a small paring knife to trim away any thick parts of the main vein on the back of each leaf. This will make it easier to roll them.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the roughly chopped mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and once it shimmers, add the shallots and carrot along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the veggies have softened (about 5 minutes), then add the finely chopped mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mushrooms have released a lot of moisture and are beginning to brown. When this happens, the bottom of the pan will start to look dry. Add the lemon zest, walnuts and crumbled tofu. Stir in the tofu, using the spoon to break up any bigger pieces then add the tamari. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes. Taste, add more tamari if needed, then remove the filling from the heat.
- Add the broth, miso, and tomato paste to a baking dish that is at least 10 by 7 inches in size with a 2 quart capacity. You can also use a large cast iron skillet. Whisk the miso and tomato paste into the broth.
- If your leaves are on the smaller side, add 1-2 tablespoons of the filling to the inside of the cabbage leaf towards the bottom. If your leaves are larger, use 2-3 tablespoons of filling. Gently roll up the bottom of the leaf around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go, just like rolling a burrito. Nestle the cabbage roll into the broth seam side down then repeat with the remaining filling and cabbage leaves.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the broth is bubbling.
- Allow the cabbage rolls to cool for 5 minutes before serving. I love enjoying these over a bed of mashed potatoes! You can spoon some of the broth on top. Or, serve them in small bowls with some of the broth if you don’t want to make mashed potatoes.
- Leftovers can be kept in a container in the fridge and enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Notes
If you are making these for a holiday meal, you can assemble the cabbage rolls and keep them covered in a baking dish or other container WITHOUT the broth for up to 2-3 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake them, add the broth mixed with the tomato paste and miso then bake according to the instructions in the recipe.
I recommend going with a larger head of cabbage rather than a smaller one as the leaves will be easier to fill and roll. I used a savoy cabbage because I find them sweeter than the typical green cabbage. You can use green cabbage or Napa cabbage if you prefer.
Keep in mind that the first leaves that come off the cabbage will be much larger and can hold more filling than the smaller ones.
I fit 10 large rolls in my baking dish (it’s a 2 quart oval baking dish that is roughly 10×7 inches). I recommend using something of a similar size or slightly larger.
I prefer to bake these in a broth enriched with some tomato paste and miso but if you prefer a more traditional cabbage roll, you can sub in 2 cups of tomato sauce instead.
If you are allergic to mushrooms, I recommend making the following adjustments: use 2-3 large shallots and cook them until they are just starting to caramelize before adding the carrots. Instead of 8 ounces of tofu, use 16 ounces and add more tamari to taste as needed.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner