I have been working for sometime now on putting together this beloved recipe for traditional Greek stuffed cabbage rolls (lahanodolmades). It is a hearty, comfort dish, especially during the colder months of the year. In northwestern Greece, where I come from, it is also called, “yiaprakia“, and is typically served on Sundays.
Many cuisines around the Mediterranean and–and throughout Europe for that matter–have their own version of stuffed cabbage. The recipes vary from country to country and even from region to region. The Greek version differs from others as it is not tomato based. The rolled cabbages have a filling of rice, onions, ground beef and fresh herbs. After they are cooked, they are topped with the Queen of Greek sauces, a delicious lemony avgolemono.
One filling, many dishes
The filling for this dish is very similar to the Greek meatball soup (yiouvarlakia). The difference is that, instead of forming little meatballs, the filling is used to stuff cabbage leaves.
Everyone is familiar with the stuffed grape leaves (dolmadakia). This popular summer meze is the meatless version, and it can be served year-round because the grape leaves can be preserved.
The ingredients for Traditional Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (lahanodolmades)
- The cabbage: light green cabbage or Savoy cabbage? I have used both in my recipe testing without a problem
- The rice: medium grain rice is the best choice for this dish, but short grain rice (like Arborio) is a good alternative
- The meat: use lean ground beef and, if possible, be sure that it is grass-fed for maximum flavor
- The aromatics: fresh parsley and dill are a must here. Dry herbs are just not the same
- The lemons: use one at a minimum, but if you like a more pronounced lemony flavor, use more!
How to make Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, step by step
- Prepare the rice and meat mixture
- Core the cabbage and blanch it
- Let the cooked cabbage leaves cool
- Stuff the cabbage with the rice and meat mixture
- Roll the cabbage leaves
- Place the rolls in a pot and cook
- Prepare the avgolemono (egg & lemon) sauce
- Pour the avgolemono over the cooked cabbage rolls, bring to a simmer, and serve!
Changing of the seasons
This winter has felt like the longest winter ever, at least to me. Did you feel the same? Even though the first signs of spring are finally here in northern Virginia, with crocuses in bloom and daffodils and forsythia ready to sprout, it is still too cold to feel like spring. I think of March as the “bridge” from winter to spring. Although the markets are still full of mostly winter produce, they should start displaying the first spring vegetables by the end of this month. That is something we can all look forward to! ?
- Ingredients for the cabbage rolls:
- 1 large head of cabbage, about 2-2.5 lbs.
- ¾ - 1 cup medium grain rice (or, short grain rice, like Arborio)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 2 spring onions, minced
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- ½ cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley, minced
- ½ cup fresh dill, minced
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Ingredients for the braising liquid:
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup hot water (plus more as needed)
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Ingredients for the avgolemono sauce:
- 3 large eggs (1 whole + 2 egg yolks)
- 1 large lemon (juiced - about ¼ cup), or more to taste
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- Garnishes::
- Lemon slices
- fresh, chopped dill
- freshly ground pepper
- Prepare the rice mixture: Mix together the rice, ground beef, onion, spring onions, carrot, olive oil, parsley, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for half an hour.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in a teaspoon of salt.
- Remove the entire core of the cabbage using a sharp pairing knife. Immerse the cabbage in the boiling water, cored side down. The water should be almost to the top of the cabbage. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or, until the leaves can be easily separated (Note: If you use Savoy cabbage the cooking time is much shorter, at just under 5 minutes). Using tongs, carefully remove each leaf from the pot, as soon as they become soft and flexible, and place them on a drainer to cool. Set aside and reserve any hard, torn, or very small leaves to line the bottom of your pot later.
- To assemble the cabbage rolls: place a cabbage leaf on a work surface. Place a tablespoon of the filling (the size of a walnut) near the bottom of the leaf. If necessary, cut into the leaf’s stem (in a V shape) to remove the hard and thick spine. This will make them easier to roll. Fold the bottom end up and over the filling, then fold the two side ends of the cabbage leaf towards the center. Roll the leaf up to enclose the mixture, making sure not to roll it too tight because the rice filling will expand while it cooks. For the leaves that are a bit too small, you can overlap two of them to form a larger leaf before filling, or, you can also patch up any tears the leaves might have. For the leaves that are too large, cut them in half along the hard stem.
- To layer the cabbage rolls: line the bottom of the pot with those reserved leaves that were too hard or too small to fill. This will protect the stuffed cabbage rolls from over browning. Arrange the rolls seam side down in the pot. Make sure they are placed snuggly against each other so they do not move during cooking. Repeat with a second layer of rolls. Top with more of the leftover harder cabbage leaves, if you have them.
- To cook: Pour the stock and water over them, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the top of the stuffed cabbage rolls with an inverted, heatproof, shallow plate or bowl. The plate should be large enough that it covers the rolls, but small enough to not touch the sides of the pot. This will keep the rolls in place while cooking and will ensure that they cook properly. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Check to make sure the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and uncover the pot.
- Make the avgolemono sauce: Whisk the eggs very well until frothy; for best results, use a hand-held mixer. Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch and whisk again. Start “tempering” the eggs by adding a ladle of hot liquid from the pot to the bowl while whisking constantly. Add one more ladle and whisk again until combined. Stir in the egg-lemon broth into the pot, shaking the pan to distribute evenly. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium-low heat for just a minute or so, making sure it does not come to a boil. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the broth for seasoning.
- To serve: arrange the rolls on individual serving plates and then top them with the frothy hot sauce (do not drown them). Garnish with lemon slices, fresh dill and some freshly ground pepper.
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This sounds delicious! One question though. Do you need to cook the rice before adding it to the meat mixture?
Hi Gail,
No, you do not need to cook the rice or any other ingredient ahead of time. Everything cooks together in the pot!
Despite this being one of my family’s favorite dishes, Marilena, one that has featured in many happy family gatherings, I must admit I have never cooked it myself. I am tempted though now following your detailed description! Loved your photo too!
You are so right about the long winter, imagine snow again in Athens at this time of the year! ?
Thank you so much Marianna, I am so happy to know that my process photos help! With so many excellent cooks in your family I don’t blame you for not making it yourself:)
We also had snow here in Northern Virginia yesterday, but I have to say, snow in Athens at this time of the year is pretty unusual! Can’t wait for the spring to come! ?
These are one of my favorite recipes! They look easy enough to try on my own, too.
Thank you Alice! It is a favorite family recipe and I hope you get to try it too:)
This sounds marvellous, Marilena. The first recipe for stuffed cabbage I’ve come across that didn’t call for tomato sauce. Makes for a nice change, and I can imagine that the avgolemono complements the flavors of the cabbage and stuffing very nicely.
Thank you, Frank! Yes, you are right, most cabbage rolls recipes call for tomato sauce….. The Greek version is lemon based and for that reason, much lighter! The avgolemono sauce is very flavorful and as you said, complements so well the cabbage and the stuffing!
How long do you blanch the cabbage?
Hi Cheryl! Depending on the kind of cabbage you are using, it can take 10-15 minutes (step 3 of the recipe) to soften the leaves so they are easy to roll!
I am making this dish today, as we are watching our carbs I am wondering if I can add quinoa instead of rice? Or just skip rice altogether?
I have never used quinoa for this dish, but it might be a good alternative…… You could also cut down the amount of rice, but I would not skip it altogether – it is what binds the mixture together!
Hello. I am making this dish now. I have more “insides” (chopped meat, rice etc) than I do cabbage. How can I cook this? Can I put it in another pot and cook it separately? Thank you.
Hi Effie,
Yes, we often end up with leftover filing – especially when the cabbage is not large enough. When this happens, you can form little balls with the filing and drop them in between the cabbage rolls or around the sides of the pot (wherever you find some space). They will cook in the broth and they will be delicious, even if they end up falling apart at the end of the cooking!
I PUT THE LEFTOVER MIX INTO BALLS BROWNED THEM AND PUT INTO POT. THEY NEVER FELL APART. Also I precooked my rice half way and sautéed my onion for the mix. I chopped onion and cabbage under all the rolls. Great recipe . Thank you. I’m one of those people that likes to tweet everything a lille bit. Used turkey and pork.
I am so happy to know you liked the recipe and you were able to make it yours by making a few changes and substitutions here and there!
Can the left over filling be refrigerated overnight? Also do you cover the pot during the cooking, or does the inverted plate act as a cover ?
Hi Debi,
you can mix the filling overnight, but you should add the rice to the filling no more than an hour prior to making the dish. You can also blanch the cabbage leaves the night before. As the cabbage rolls simmer, besides the inverted plate, you need to cover the pot loosely with a lid, allowing some of the steam to escape!
I have just discovered your incredible site. It instantly became my favorite cooking/recipe….to go to site.
Thank you so much Ed, for your lovely comment! I truly appreciate your kind words!
Have been making this recipe for years . Can you freeze it.
Hi Clara,
Thank you for your message. Unfortunately cooked cabbage does not freeze well…. You could prepare the filling ahead of time and also blanch the cabbage leaves earlier in the day, however. This way you can assemble the dish later. I hope this helps:)
Love this recipe. It has more ingredients than my mother’s recipe But it hits the spot.. Thank you. Thank you looking for a word looking forward to more.
Wonderful wonderful Greek recipes.
Happy New Year.
.
Thank you so much Sophia for your kind words. I am so happy you tried my recipe and you liked it! Such a comforting dish!
Thank you. I have made this several times for my family and everyone loves it so much. I’m making it again tonight. The lemon-egg sauce is amazing. I use a ground meat substitute, but otherwise I do everything as you so wonderfully describe.
That is wonderful! I am so glad you made this recipe so many time already and you liked it so much!
Love this recipe! If you were making this for a small group of people what would you make with it?
Thanks!
Hi Heather,
This dish is usually served as a main dish with a nice seasonal salad and some good bread. The classic Greek peasant salad for the summer months and, if you make it in the fall, this green salad goes very well with it:
https://marilenaskitchen.com/classic-greek-lettuce-salad-maroulosalata/
Good Luck!
I’ve made this dish several times now and it is so delicious! It always gets rave reviews. The last time I made it I used ground turkey since I was having company that didn’t eat beef. They were also excellent! One of my favorite dishes. Thanks for the recipe!!
That is good to know, Cheryl! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your comment!
I found this recipe looking for a dolmades recipe and figured this would be a bit cheaper to make. I absolutely loved it! The filling was flavorful and the cabbage was cooked to a perfect consistency. The lemony sauce was a perfect pairing to the filling. I didn’t think I would really appreciate it at first (I’m usually not a fan of lemony flavors), but I trusted the process and was very happy with the results. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
This makes me so happy, Lauren! I am so happy that you tried this recipe and liked it so much. It is a favorite family recipe, we make it all the time!