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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    LAST UPDATED: December 15, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 15, 2021

    Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    These vegan cabbage rolls are stuffed with a savory, smoky mixture of quinoa and lentils, then baked up in tomato sauce until piping hot. A delicious and healthy meatless main dish that's perfect for special occasions!

    Wooden surface set with plate of two Vegan Cabbage Rolls, water glass, and baking dish.

    This is kind of a funny recipe for me. See, back when I started blogging, I never expected to post a recipe for vegan cabbage rolls. I felt like nobody would want vegan recipes for things they grew up eating. Boy have I learned a lot since then!

    I realize now that you guys (and myself as well) are just as into delicious vegan versions of old favorites as totally original creations.

    I initially wasn't sure I'd like these cabbage rolls much. I wasn't even certain I'd be sharing the recipe for them! But I ended up LOVING them. My husband and I polished these off with a big plate of vegan mashed potatoes.

    Conventional, non-vegan cabbage rolls are a Polish thing, also knows as golabki. Do these taste like them? I'm not sure. Hey, it's been a while since I had one. But they're savory, smoky and delicious. A big, hearty meal of winter comfort food, and pretty darn healthy to boot. Can't beat that!

    Jump to:
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make Vegan Cabbage Rolls
    • Make-Ahead Option
    • Leftovers & Storage
    • More Vegan Comfort Food Main Dishes
    • Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    What You'll Need

    • Cabbage. The recipe calls for green cabbage, but there's no real reason you can't use purple cabbage. I recommend getting a large head of cabbage, even though you won't be able to use the whole thing. A larger head of cabbage will give you nice big cabbage leaves that are easy to roll. The leftover cabbage would be perfect in soup, such as my vegan borscht, curry cabbage soup, or vegan cabbage roll soup (which tastes just like this recipe but requires no rolling!)
    • Brown lentils. Green lentils should work just fine as a substitute, though they'll take a bit longer to cook. I don't recommend using red lentils, as they have a totally different texture from brown and I'm not sure how the filling would turn out.
    • Quinoa. Any color of quinoa works.
    • Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon, but go with what you like!
    • Onion.
    • Olive oil.
    • Red wine vinegar. White vinegar works fine if you don't have this on hand.
    • Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
    • Smoked paprika.
    • Oat flour. This ingredient is optional and can be used to bind the filling together a bit. You could also use all-purpose flour, but I'm a fan of oat because it's gluten-free friendly and safe to taste-test before cooking.
    • Tomato puree.
    • Maple syrup. Feel free to use another sweetener if you'd like.
    • Salt & pepper.

    How to Make Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

    • Steam your cabbage. Place it in a large pot with a few inches of water, bring the water to a simmer, and cover the pot. Let your cabbage steam until the leaves are tender. Make sure to give it plenty of time — the top leaves may soften quickly, but the lower layers will still be firm and difficult to roll.
    • While the cabbage steams, make your filling. You'll need to precook your lentils and quinoa. Heat up some oil in a skillet, and sweat a diced onion for a few minutes. Add the lentils, quinoa, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, and soy sauce. You can also add some oat flour (or all-purpose flour) at this point if you'd like. Stir everything well to fully mix up the ingredients.
    Vegan Cabbage Roll filling in a skillet.
    • Make your sauce. To do this, simply stir your tomato puree, maple syrup, and some red wine vinegar together. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Roll your cabbage. Carefully remove a leaf from your steamed cabbage. Trim off any stiff areas towards the bottom that form part of the stem. Place a few tablespoons of the filling near the bottom of the leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll it up tightly.
    Collage showing 4 stages of rolling a cabbage roll.
    • Ladle some sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and arrange your cabbage rolls snugly in the dish as you roll them. Ladle the rest of the sauce on top, then bake your vegan stuffed cabbage until the sauce is bubbly.
    Hand ladling sauce over Vegan Cabbage Rolls in a baking dish.
    • Dig in!
    Vegan Cabbage Rolls on a plate with one cut in half to show fillings.

    Make-Ahead Option

    If you'd like to prep your vegan golabki in advance, assemble the rolls and arrange them in your baking dish with the sauce up. Cover and refrigerate them overnight. Then uncover and bake the rolls according to the recipe when you're ready to serve them.

    Leftovers & Storage

    Leftover vegan stuffed cabbage will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 2 months.

    More Vegan Comfort Food Main Dishes

    • Vegan Meatloaf
    • Vegan Lasagna
    • Vegan Pot Pie
    • Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
    • Vegan Chicken Tetrazzini

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Two Vegan Cabbage Rolls on a plate with parsley on top.
    4.82 from 37 votes
    Print

    Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls

    These stuffed vegan cabbage rolls are stuffed with a savory, smoky mixture of quinoa and lentils, then baked up in tomato sauce until piping hot. A delicious and healthy main dish that's perfect for special occasions!

    Course Entree
    Cuisine Polish
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
    Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings 8 rolls
    Calories 341 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • 1 large head of green cabbage*

    For the Filling

    • ¾ cup dried brown lentils**
    • ½ cup uncooked quinoa***
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 2 tablespoons oat flour, optional, for binding

    For the Sauce:

    • 1 (28 ounce or 800 gram) can tomato puree
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or sweetener of choice
    • 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Place about 3 inches of water into a large pot and add the entire head of cabbage stem side down.

    2. Place the pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and and cover. Allow the cabbage to steam until leaves peel off easily, about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow the cabbage to cool for a few minutes.

    3. While the cabbage steams, begin preparing the filling. Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover them with a few inches of water. Place the pot over high heat.

    4. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and allow the lentils to simmer until they're are just fully cooked (not mushy), about 25 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. When the lentils are finished cooking, drain any excess liquid.

    5. While the lentils simmer, place the broth into a small saucepan and add the quinoa. Place the pot over high heat and bring the broth to a boil.

    6. Lower the heat, cover the pot and allow the liquid to simmer until all of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

    7. Remove the pot from heat and allow it to sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before taking it off and fluffing the quinoa with a fork.

    8. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

    9. Add 1 ½ cups of the cooked lentils and 1 cup of the cooked quinoa (you'll have just a bit of each leftover), along with red wine vinegar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Add oat flour at this time if using. Flip the mixture a few times just to combine the ingredients, then remove from heat.

    10. Preheat the oven to 350°.
    11. Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then distribute about ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of 9 x 9 inch (or similarly sized) baking dish.

    12. Carefully peel a leaf off of the cabbage head and place it onto a work surface with the stem side facing you. Trim any very thick portions of the leaf near the base.

    13. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling onto the center of the leaf. Fold the base side over the filling, then wrap the sides inward over the filling. Roll the center away from you to wrap everything up. Place the roll, seam side down, into the baking dish. Repeat until all of the filling is used (you'll get about 8 rolls).

    14. Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour. The sauce should be bubbly when the cabbage rolls are done baking.

    15. Remove the dish from the oven and allow the rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.

    Recipe Notes

    * You only actually need about 8 cabbage leaves for this recipe. In order to get the most large, easily rollable leaves, I suggest going with a large head and only using the larger, outermost layers of leaves. You can save the rest for another use.

    ** Precooked lentils can be used if you've got them on hand. You'll need 1 ½ cups.

    *** Precooked quinoa can be used if you've got some on hand. You'll need 1 cup. Preferably use quinoa that's been cooked in broth.

    Nutrition Facts
    Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls
    Amount Per Serving (2 cabbage rolls (¼ of recipe))
    Calories 341 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 0.9g5%
    Sodium 719mg30%
    Potassium 1573mg45%
    Carbohydrates 59.8g20%
    Fiber 16.7g67%
    Sugar 17.4g19%
    Protein 16.6g33%
    Calcium 104mg10%
    Iron 8mg44%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Rich & Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
    Chocolate-Dipped Vegan Coconut Macaroons »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan Wright says

      December 14, 2016 at 5:36 pm

      man I have to try this one I loved cabbage rolls and now I can make them, Thanks so mch

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 15, 2016 at 8:59 am

        I hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
        • jen says

          December 15, 2017 at 3:10 pm

          4 stars
          lovely recipe! I found there wasn't enough filling! it only made 5 cabbage rolls so it wasn't enough for my family as we usually eat 2 each :( next time I will double up the filling.

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            December 17, 2017 at 9:12 pm

            Oh wow! You must have had much bigger cabbage leaves than I did. :)

            Reply
            • Jessica Lewis says

              April 23, 2019 at 8:27 pm

              So...how many rolls is it supposed to make? How many rolls are in a serving?

            • Alissa Saenz says

              April 28, 2019 at 6:13 pm

              You'll probably get about 12 to 15 rolls (3-4 per serving), depending on how big your cabbage leaves are.

    2. Kari says

      December 16, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      I just made your Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna Soup - it was DELICIOUS (and cheap to make lol). Cabbage rolls were a staple in my family growing up - I can't wait to try these next!! Thanks :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 19, 2016 at 9:50 am

        Glad you enjoyed the soup! And I hope you love the cabbage rolls as much as I did! :)

        Reply
    3. MH says

      January 02, 2017 at 3:54 pm

      When do you add the soy sauce?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 03, 2017 at 9:11 am

        Sorry about that! I just edited the instructions.

        Reply
    4. chantellehill says

      January 04, 2017 at 1:57 pm

      i might try and make this but , as my cabbage roll casserole instead

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 05, 2017 at 8:59 am

        I think that would be delicious!

        Reply
    5. Lindsay says

      January 04, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      This sounds delicious! I wonder if you could make the filling ahead of time and keep in the fridge and make the rolls later in the week...what do you think?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 05, 2017 at 9:00 am

        I think that would work just fine!

        Reply
    6. Kristen says

      January 08, 2017 at 12:48 pm

      I was wondering if this is a meal you could make and freeze? I don't know how cabbage freezes so I thought I'd ask. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 08, 2017 at 10:46 pm

        I haven't tried to freeze these, but I've heard that conventional cabbage rolls freeze fine, so I think if you wrap them up nice and tight you should be good. :)

        Reply
      • Darlene says

        December 10, 2018 at 4:10 am

        5 stars
        YES! you can freeze cabbage. Been making and freezing cabbage rolls for 40+ years. Once thawed, you will never know it was ever frozen. When I make cabbage rolls I made a large roaster full and freeze them for lunches. ENJOY This look delicious!

        Reply
    7. Kim says

      January 08, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      What do you do with the extra cabbage that you don't use for the rolls?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 08, 2017 at 10:51 pm

        It's great in any kind of tomato-based vegetable soup. It would definitely make a nice addition to some minestrone - I have a recipe here that you could try. I'd just slice it nice and thin add it in with the zucchini.

        Reply
    8. April says

      January 10, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Is that tomato paste or tomato sauce? I used paste but I was worried it would burn and not soften the cabbage enough. I added a little bit of water just in case. It's currently in the oven.

      Oh, and as to freezing. My mom used to always freeze her cabbage as soon as she got it, and then just defrost it when she needed it to make cabbage rolls. It softens it just like boiling it. So if anything, I think freezing cabbage rolls would just make them softer!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 12, 2017 at 8:53 am

        It's tomato puree - usually you can find a few cans hiding among all of the tomato sauce and paste. If you can't find it, you could stick a can of whole tomatoes in the blender. I think crushed tomatoes or sauce would probably work too. Thanks for the tip too - I always have leftover cabbage when I make a recipe like this - so now I'm going to freeze it for later!

        Reply
    9. Bonnie Haynes says

      February 01, 2017 at 7:29 pm

      Wonder if this can be doubled or tripled? then cooked in a crockpot?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 06, 2017 at 10:04 am

        It can definitely be multiplied, but I haven't tried it in a crockpot, so I'm not sure. I have seen recipes for meat-based cabbage rolls that cook in the crockpot, so maybe you could use one of them for guidance.

        Reply
    10. Eli says

      February 14, 2017 at 8:22 am

      Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar?? x

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 14, 2017 at 9:04 pm

        I think so, but the flavor might be a little different.

        Reply
    11. Stephanie says

      February 23, 2017 at 8:54 am

      Can green or red lentils be used instead?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 23, 2017 at 2:58 pm

        Green should work, but red tend to get super mushy when cooked, so they might mess up the texture.

        Reply
    12. michelle Psaila says

      March 10, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      I tried it with chickpeas and peas instead of lentils, love it. Thank you

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 12, 2017 at 9:48 pm

        Chickpeas sound like a great variation! Glad you enjoyed this!

        Reply
        • Barbara says

          December 24, 2018 at 5:27 pm

          5 stars
          I have tried it with black beans too. Very tasty!

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            December 30, 2018 at 6:46 pm

            Yum!! Glad you enjoyed it!

            Reply
    13. Michel says

      March 12, 2017 at 4:52 pm

      Trying it tonight.Comforting dinner for this cold Montréal evening.
      In the oven right now. It looks good. Cant't wait to taste it.
      Merci !

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 12, 2017 at 9:50 pm

        I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    14. Theo says

      May 15, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      This is romanian food and it's called "sarmale de post"

      Reply
    15. Jess says

      June 12, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      I'm confused why you don't add all of the lentils and quinoa to the skillet when you're combining it with the other ingredients. What do you do with the rest?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 15, 2017 at 8:32 pm

        Just for ease of measurement. When you cook up the lentils and quinoa you'll end up with just a bit more than you need. You can save them for another use or even freeze them for later if you'd like.

        Reply
    16. Angela says

      July 02, 2017 at 8:51 am

      My second time making these! Both times I used sauerkraut leaves. After the first time, recipe as written with sauerkraut leaves was too vinegary. This time I left the vinegar out of the sauce. Delish!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 02, 2017 at 10:42 am

        I love sauerkraut - I'll bet that's delicious!!

        Reply
    17. Sharon Dane says

      July 15, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      This was delicious. Will note this as a favourite. I used sugar loaf cabbage.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 21, 2017 at 2:57 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed them!!

        Reply
    18. Stevie Nicole says

      July 19, 2017 at 4:14 pm

      Made these the other day and they are pretty good. My family has sarma (the name for this dish in Croatian) for Easter and Christmas every year, and I've been missing it so much since going vegan. A couple things I would recommend: there's a spice from Croatia that you might be able to find at a specialty store (or maybe order online-trust me, it's WORTH IT!!!!) called Vegeta. We put it on tons of stuff. I used about a teaspoon or so of this when making the filling. Also, dried bay leaves are a really key ingredient, they add quite a bit of flavor-just don't eat them. Stuff them between the cabbage rolls when you put it in to bake and then remove them when you serve the dish. Some recipes call for a bit of saur Kraut, I only really like a hint of it.
      Otherwise, great recipe! Will make again.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 21, 2017 at 2:49 pm

        Ohhh... I will definitey give it a try! Thanks so much for the recommendation, and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this!!

        Reply
    19. Katt says

      August 27, 2017 at 1:47 am

      Please add calorie count. Thank you.

      Reply
    20. Charlie says

      September 22, 2017 at 12:23 pm

      Hello. I made this dish a couple days ago and it turned out great and was quite delicious. I had never tried to make cabbage rolls before and found your procedure to be easy and quite successful.
      Thanks for the great recipe and new family favorite.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 22, 2017 at 9:30 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much Charlie!!

        Reply
    21. Danielle johnson says

      October 05, 2017 at 7:39 pm

      Can you please give me the nutritional information on this
      Thanks

      Reply
    22. Joanne says

      October 16, 2017 at 2:04 pm

      This was very tasty, but two problems, maybe we’d are big porkers but there wasn’t a lot left and only two of us eating it! Also it is balanced nitritionally, but I felt like it could do with a side, what would you suggest as an accompaniment

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 16, 2017 at 9:02 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed it! We always have mashed potatoes with this and it's perfect! They go great together and the comibation should fill you up. :)

        Reply
      • Mark says

        December 26, 2017 at 1:17 am

        My family always has perogies with cabbage rolls!

        Reply
    23. Angela says

      October 23, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      What should I do with the leftover cabbage? It's cooked already so should I just chop it and warm it up as a side dish for tomorrow? Great recipe by the way!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 25, 2017 at 9:14 pm

        Thank you! Here's one of my favorite side dishes that uses 1/2 head of cabbage: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-coleslaw/

        Reply
    24. Diane says

      November 18, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      Could you give an approximate number of rolls this filling would make?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 21, 2017 at 8:58 am

        I usually get about 12.

        Reply
    25. Heike Childs says

      December 10, 2017 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for posting such a well thought out recipe. I made it last night and it turned out fabulous. I found your recipe extremely well organized and easy to follow. Kudos for such a good job. As I was cooking the head of cabbage in a big pot, when I pulled it out, it occurred to me that the flavorful cabbage broth could be augmented with a couple of carrots, onions and celery and make a good soup all in one pot saving the effort of making vegetable soup as it's own dish. It worked out great for a first course.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 10, 2017 at 9:03 pm

        What a great idea! I'm going to have to try that out next time I make this. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much!!

        Reply
    26. Julie says

      December 22, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      These look great - even as a non-vegetarian! I can tell these will please both myself and my vegetarian daughter.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 26, 2017 at 9:40 am

        I hope you both enjoy it!

        Reply
    27. Cristina says

      December 29, 2017 at 10:19 am

      5 stars
      These were so delicious, thank you! I might try to make a casserole-style version by shredding the cabbage and layering the ingredients next time, since I'm lazy. ;)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 29, 2017 at 9:55 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! I actually did a soup recipe as a lazy version: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/quinoa-lentil-cabbage-roll-soup/

        Reply
    28. K says

      December 29, 2017 at 6:21 pm

      Did you boil the whole head of cabbage to get the leaves off?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 29, 2017 at 9:53 pm

        It's actually steamed. :)

        Reply
    29. Stacy Leopold says

      January 09, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      My husband is allergic to quinoa. Do u think that buckwheat would be s good substitute, or something else?
      Thanks!
      Stacy

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 12, 2018 at 10:19 am

        I think buckwheat, rice or bulghur could work! I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!

        Reply
    30. Hilda says

      January 11, 2018 at 11:47 am

      I enjoy making a variety of cabbage rolls so this sounds good. To cut out a step, freeze you head of cabbage first, then when time to make it - thaw the cabbage - no need to boil the leaves. They are so pliable you just add you other ingredients & roll ... Cook as you normally would.

      Sometimes, I will also steam lettuce leaves & fill them with a filling of sorts & cook like cabbage rolls ... they taste great!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 12, 2018 at 10:04 am

        I love that idea! Thank you for the tip - I'm definitely try it next time I make this!

        Reply
    31. Ruth comitz says

      January 14, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for my vegetarian daughter twice. The 2nd time I added a little rice n diced tomatoes to the filling n instead of sautéing the onion I grated an onion n put it it uncooked. I used the leftover diced tomatoes on top with a can of tomato soup(that’s what I had in my pantry). Along with the vinegar n they turned out great. Her and her gf are all of them. It made about 8 canbage rolls. Delicious. Thank you

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 14, 2018 at 9:48 pm

        Those sound like delicious modifications! I'm glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Ruth!

        Reply
    32. Maeve says

      January 16, 2018 at 1:17 pm

      These look delicious, I can’t wait to try them out! I love that you steamed the cabbage, these are the perfect comfort food :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 19, 2018 at 9:51 pm

        Thanks Maeve! I hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    33. Steve Doane says

      February 09, 2018 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight, paired with my smoked gouda pierogies. Excellent, my Gran'ma Mary would be proud. Thanks, I'll do this one again!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 10, 2018 at 10:44 am

        I bet this is awesome with pierogies! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Steve!

        Reply
    34. Alison Green says

      February 12, 2018 at 7:29 pm

      I just found this recipe and it looks awesome. I am wondering if I could use red cabbage leaves instead of green? I've got a giant head in the fridge that I'm trying to use up :) thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 13, 2018 at 10:05 pm

        Red should work just fine! Enjoy!

        Reply
    35. Brittany says

      February 28, 2018 at 1:01 am

      5 stars
      You have revolutionized the way I cook for my family! Thank you for this amazing blog of inspiration. Just made the cabbage rolls and they were a hit. Easy to follow instructions and a great result. Already picked out a dozen more recipes to try in the next couple weeks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 28, 2018 at 3:40 pm

        Awww...thank you so much Brittany!! I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the recipes! I hope the new ones you try are hits with your family too!

        Reply
    36. thebaker says

      March 16, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      5 stars
      hey, I just made these for dinner & thought I'd let you all know how it went because I read each of your lovely comments before making them for myself. to start, I subbed and added a few things, so I'll begin with those. my filling consisted of cooked brown rice, diced carrot, diced onion, and frozen peas, which equaled to about 2.5C filling. along with the listed ingrediens, I added 1/4t garlic powder and 1/4t cayenne powder. for the tomato sauce, I used a large can diced tomatoes, 1.5T tomato paste, and 1/4t garlic powder, and left out the remaining ingredients. this recipe made 8 cabbage rolls for me. I can eat 2 at a time. I made a side of mashed potatoes as suggested. very good. thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 17, 2018 at 10:23 am

        That sounds absolutely delicious!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much!

        Reply
    37. Erica says

      April 09, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      I have always wanted to make cabbage rollls but all that hamburger and rice just was not appealing to me. This recipe is so good. It’s one of those foods that you think, eh if I have other options for lunches I won’t grab this. But you would be wrong. It is so satisfying to your body that you won’t need to eat breads or junk food thinking you missed out. I froze the remaining amount because my daughter won’t eat the cabbage but she likes the filling. My new favorite. And as a bonus, these are so good for fiber if you know what I mean.

      Reply
    38. Catherine says

      June 11, 2018 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe. I have made it no less than 10x!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 16, 2018 at 10:35 am

        Yay!! Glad you're enjoying it!

        Reply
    39. Tarah says

      August 16, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      I really don't consider myself a fan of cabbage and was searching for a recipe to do away with an extra head my CSA box left me with when I stumbled across this recipe... I've never had cabbage rolls and they probably wouldn't be something I'd make on a whim but WOW I am so glad I did. These are delicious, simple, and so comforting. Plus rolling up the cabbage leaves is weirdly satisfying. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 18, 2018 at 9:31 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks so much Tarah!

        Reply
    40. Chris West says

      September 26, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my daughter that is vegan. Instead of using the home made sauce, I used traditional Prego.
      It was so yummy!
      I put blue cheese crumbles on mine
      (Non-vegan)
      My new favorite dish!!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 30, 2018 at 6:12 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    41. Cindy Cloutier says

      November 10, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      I cooked up a batch of these beauties and honest-to-god, they weren't just good "for meatless cabbage rolls;" even the omnivore, meat-and-cabbage roll-loving husband said these were by far the most delicious we've ever eaten, period. He didn't miss the meat at all... the flavor is deep and rich (hubs thought they'd been slow-cooked), with all the umami and oh-so-satisfying density of traditional cabbage rolls. We couldn't stop talking about them as we devoured them!

      SO much thanks for this recipe. Cabbage rolls are a specialty of my mother-in-law's and were a family favorite for years before my older daughter and I became vegetarians, I in 2001 and she in 2003. It's BIG "feel good food" for our family, and vegan versions *always* leave something to be desired. These beauties will be in regular rotation for sure, and will be the feel-good cabbage rolls *our* grandchildren will request one day. :)

      *I accidentally added a tablespoon of the vinegar to the filling and let the syrup get away from me when making the sauce, so adjusted vinegar accordingly, and although I'm betting the recipe is perfect as-is, I would do both those things again because the flavor was out-of-this-world.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 11, 2018 at 12:21 pm

        Thank you so much Cindy!! I haven't actually had a chance to test these out on an omnivore yet, but after reading your review maybe I'll try them out on my family - cabbage rolls are a favorite. I'm so glad they were a hit with and your husband. :)

        Reply
    42. Mila says

      November 24, 2018 at 5:36 pm

      4 stars
      I just have tried this recipe and it was really, really good. Better than meat version that we are used to.
      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 26, 2018 at 2:39 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks Mila!

        Reply
    43. Darlene says

      December 10, 2018 at 4:29 am

      5 stars
      Hello Alissa,
      I would like to make your lovely cabbage rolls for my vegan niece when she visits. I am not a vegan, however, I do love lentils and quinoa, but have not "experimented" much with them. The stuffing in my traditional cabbage rolls is not precook(been making for 40+ years). I stuff cabbage leaves, cover them with my special spicy sauce, then cook them for 3-3 1/2 hours. This allow the sauce to premeditate into the rolls, cooking the stuffing and making them juicy, and full of flavour. Alissa do you know of any reason why I can not put the lentils and quinoa in uncooked? Hoping you can assist me. Much thanks.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 13, 2018 at 5:02 pm

        Hi Darlene! I'd be afraid that the quinoa and lentils wouldn't get fully cooked if you put them in there uncooked. Both need to be able to suck up quite a bit of water to cook, so boling them is important. I hope you and your niece enjoy this!!

        Reply
    44. Barbara says

      December 24, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      I can’t have oil, so do you think I could just put more sauce down to that the cabbage rolls won’t burn?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 30, 2018 at 6:45 pm

        The oil is actually for cooking the onion - I'd recommend just using broth or water instead! There's no need to put oil in the bottom of the baking dish. :)

        Reply
    45. lisa says

      December 28, 2018 at 4:47 am

      hi all, these are amazing and here i am making them for a girls lunch tomorrow. Has anyone made them a day ahead and if so did they cook just as well please.

      thanks all

      Reply
    46. Kerri says

      February 05, 2019 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This recipe is delish! I was eating the filling right out of the pan! Although it requires a lot of steps & time, it’s worth it. I substituted pizza for the tomatoe sauce and added a little sprinkle of vegan cheese at the end. Thank for for taking the time to share this great recipe with us. 👏🏻🎉🙏🏻

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2019 at 6:42 pm

        Oh that actually sounds delicious! Like pizza flavored rolls! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    47. Loretta Chin says

      July 21, 2019 at 10:20 pm

      Do I bake the dish with or without covered foil? How long?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 27, 2019 at 4:47 pm

        Covered for 1 hour.

        Reply
    48. Shannon P says

      August 26, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      1 star
      This was HORRIBLE! I'm sorry - it was very inedible. The sauce was so bland and just awful, the filling was ok tasted fine on its own but the whole dish as itself I had to throw it all out and eat leftovers.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 01, 2019 at 10:57 am

        Sorry to hear that!

        Reply
    49. Talis says

      August 28, 2019 at 1:44 pm

      4 stars
      I made these today. My only substitution was brown rice for the quinoa. I weighed the filling and made 12 stuffed cabbage leaves.

      The flavors are very good and the smokiness of the paprika is going to make this a cold winter favorite. When I make this again, I will rethink those cabbage leaves. Just way too much cabbage for the amount of filling.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 01, 2019 at 10:49 am

        Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    50. Lori says

      September 29, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      I was craving cabbage rolls when someone brought the traditional meat-filled ones to a party. Your site was the first one I went to. I love your recipes. I made these- doubles recipe- and froze extras in small batches. Absolutely delicious!! I had done with vegan mashed potatoes and extra sauerkraut. A perfect homey meal- even better than the beef ones I remembered eating as a kid! Thanks for your incredible vegan recipes!!!!

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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