One Pot UnStuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls ; A No-Fuss Plant-Based Meal

The weather has cooled off a bit, and I'm already thinking of heartier foods! One of my favorites is stuffed cabbage BUT it's way too labor intensive for me to want to sit and roll the cabbage, so I make an "unstuffed cabbage roll" version instead, which is an easy one pot plant-based (GF) recipe with no rolling involved!

Vegan Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls: Easy, Healthy, and Delicious

If you are looking to add more high fiber plant-based meals to your diet, this one-pot meal is a crowd pleaser. Big on flavor and nutrients, it's a perfect choice for a busy weeknight or even a cozy weekend dinner. Eat it as a meal by adding chickpeas or a side dish with your any meal. It is gluten-free and oil-free as well.

The cookbook is over 40 years old and has been well used!

Back in 1979, as chairperson and editor of a fundraiser, I published a cookbook for a local charitable organization called Hamilton Hadassah. (It was located in Hamilton, NJ).  I collected recipes from the membership, edited, found a young high school student to design  the cover. Once published, the membership sold the cookbooks to friends and family, and we raised a significant amount of money to donate to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. One of the recipes that I submitted to our community cookbook was for my mom's stuffed cabbage rolls which she mainly made on holidays because it was so much work.

My mom's cabbage roll recipe was sweet and sour and made with sauerkraut and raisins in her cooking sauce. Although my recipe is vegan and  my mom's recipe was made with chopped meat, I adapted her recipe and made vegan version.

"Impossible Burger" or "Beyond Burger" would work perfectly in her recipe as far as taste and texture, but I find the fat of the content of "fake alternative meat" way too high and unhealthy for me to want to use. So instead use a lower fat plant-based protein such as tofu and or chickpeas. I've made it both ways. 

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of chopped onions

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 jar of organic salsa (mild, medium or hot)

optional: 1/4-1/2  cup of tomato paste for thicker sauce

2 jars (from empty salsa) of vegetable broth or water

2 cups of white cabbage, chopped  

3 tablespoons of dark raisins, soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 15 minutes 

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 block of tofu, crumbled

3 cups of sauerkraut 

Optional: 1 cup of cooked chickpeas 

2 cups of white or brown rice, cooked (should be still warm and recently cooked)

Directions: 

Sauté onions in a large wide rimmed skillet or Dutch oven with 1/4 cup of water or broth for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and sauté another 3 minutes stirring. Add white cabbage, salsa, raisins with water, vegetable broth, tofu, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and add sauerkraut and optional chickpeas. Mix into mixture and cook and additional 3-5 minutes until sauerkraut and optional chickpeas are hot. Add mixture to a casserole dish and top with rice.  

Vegan Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Are A Hearty Healthy Meal

1. Healthy and Nutritious
   This dish is packed with wholesome ingredients. Cabbage, a key ingredient, is rich in vitamins C and K, fiber, and antioxidants. The addition of chickpeas provides a hearty dose of protein and fiber, while tomatoes and spices add depth and nutrients. It’s a balanced meal that’s both satisfying and nourishing.

   

My Notes: 

1. Sticky white rice is my favorite rice to eat with this dish 

2. I sometimes add a little ketchup while cooking or before serving to each dish but not necessary.

3. The recipe is versatile. Using more or less sauce . it doesn't have to be perfect measurements. Sometimes chickpeas and sometime crumbled tofu. It comes out a little differently every time I make it.

4. Squeeze out some of the water before crumbling tofu (I use my hands to crumble the tofu). 

5. All recipes on this blog since 2022 are naturally gluten-free, plant-based, and oil-free. 

6. Can you make this in the Instant Pot? Yes, but I have not developed the recipe yet. Should be easy but don't overcook the cabbage.