Vegan Cabbage Rolls

Vegan cabbage rolls taste just like grandma used to make. This perfect vegan cabbage rolls recipe is easy weeknight comfort food for the whole family.

I love making vegan cabbage rolls. The soft cabbage and tasty lentil filling remind me of my childhood. And it helps that everyone in my family loves them as much as I do. This vegan cabbage rolls recipe is easy and can be made ahead of time for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Jump to:

• Cabbage Roll Ingredients
• Cabbage Rolls Ingredient Substitutions
• Preparing the Filling
• Preparing the Cabbage
• How to Fill the Cabbage Rolls
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Weeknight Meals the Whole Family Enjoys!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

My grandma used to make cabbage rolls with a Greek twist by adding tons of dill, thyme, and onion. It reminded me of her Greek Thanksgiving stuffing, traditionally made with rice rather than bread.

Although I don't know many children who beg for cabbage rolls, my sister and I did. Grandma's cabbage rolls were filled with meat, rice, and herbs; I just switched out the meat and added lentils for this delicious version of her cabbage rolls recipe. I also skipped the oil for a healthier version.

Cabbage Roll Ingredients

• Green Cabbage: Savoy cabbage is the best for making cabbage rolls. The leaves have a wonderful, waffle-knit texture that makes them visually striking. And that texture gives a slight elasticity, which makes the leaves ideal for dishes like stuffed cabbage or vegan cabbage rolls.
• Shallots: Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat
• Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are charred over a flame before they're diced and canned (sometimes, they're enhanced with onion and garlic powder). Often, you can see the blackened flecks on the tomatoes.
• Cooked Brown Lentils: I used Trader Joe's steamed brown lentils because they are perfectly cooked and save me the time of cooking lentils.
• Dill: My grandma always made her cabbage rolls with a ton of dill, and since I love dill, I make them with dill also.
• Thyme: Thyme tastes earthy and minty, minty and citrus-laced, savory but also sweet, and slightly woodsy but also flowery, with traces of lavender or toned-down rosemary.
• Onions: I used white onions because I love their flavor combined with shallots and garlic.
• Mushrooms: I used baby portobello mushrooms because they are firmer than cremini mushrooms.
• Marinara Sauce: I make my own vegan marinara sauce, but any pasta sauce works well.
• Cooked Brown Rice: I made brown rice ahead of time. You can use short or long-grain brown rice.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic over jarred garlic when possible. The flavor has more depth.
• Paprika: A powdered spice from red peppers, paprika has a subtle earthiness and a sweet and peppery taste. Smoked paprika has all the appeal of the original but with the bonus of a distinct chargrilled flavor, which stems from being dried over an oak wood fire.

Cabbage Rolls Ingredient Substitutions

• Green, red, or Napa cabbage are good substitutes for savoy cabbage.
• Red onion is a substitute for shallots.
• Try roasting your own tomatoes instead of using canned tomatoes.
• Or, use canned diced tomatoes and add ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke.
• Prepare your brown lentils or use drained canned brown lentils.
• Yellow onions are an excellent substitution for white onions in recipes.
• Choose any mushrooms you prefer.
• Any oil-free jarred marinara sauce works.
• Any rice works well in this vegan cabbage rolls recipe. Or quinoa works too.
• One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The exact conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic or even minced refrigerated garlic.
• For a smokier taste, choose smoked paprika.

Preparing the Filling

• Begin by sauteeing the shallots and onions in a large skillet.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until brown.
• If the mixture begins to stick in the pan, use a small amount of vegetable broth or water to remove the stuck pieces.
• Stir the paprika into the mixture and remove it from the heat.
• Assemble the remaining ingredients, and put them all in a bowl together.

• Stir the mixture together, and prepare the cabbage leaves.

Preparing the Cabbage

Although preparing the cabbage may seem complicated, the process is easy.

• Prepare a large pot (which must be larger than the cabbage) with boiling water and a teaspoon of salt.
• Bring to a boil before adding the entire head of the cabbage.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• And, of course, be careful not to splash yourself.
• The leaves come off easily.
• Just be sure to remove the leaves slowly so they don't rip.
• Then, lay them on paper towels to drain and cool before filling them.

• Repeat the process until you have at least 8 entire leaves.

How to Fill the Cabbage Rolls

• Set a cabbage leaf on a working surface, outer side down, and scoop about ½ cup of the mushroom-lentil mixture into the middle.
• Fold the stem end up about ⅓ of the way, then fold in the sides, like a tortilla.
• Continue rolling semi-tightly until completely rolled up.

• Add half the jar of marinara sauce and ¼ cup water to the bottom of a 3-quart or larger Crock Pot or in the base of a Dutch oven.
• Stir to combine.
• Lay roll seam-side down on top of the marinara sauce.

• Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves, piling each into the slow cooker in one or two layers, right on top of one another.

• Add the remaining marinara sauce and one can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and cover.
• In the crock pot, cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
• If cooking in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 and cook for 40 minutes covered; then, remove the cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
• To serve, scoop out a little marinara and spread it on a plate.

• Carefully remove the vegan cabbage rolls one at a time and transfer them to the plate.
• Ladle an additional spoonful or two of the marinara sauce from the slow cooker or Dutch oven over each cabbage roll and top with a few sprigs of fresh dill, thyme, and parsley.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• To reheat cabbage rolls, if frozen, thaw them entirely first before cooking. Then, cover the pan and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes until heated.
• You can make the cabbage rolls the day before. Just place the ingredients in the base of the crock pot or dutch oven and place them in the refrigerator until the next day, plug them in, and go to work. Or cook when you are ready in the oven.
• Sunday is a great day for cooking prep. Or, you can make the filling in advance and stuff the leaves right before you place them in the base of the crock pot or dutch oven.
• To maximize the shelf life of cooked vegan cabbage rolls for safety and quality, refrigerate the cabbage rolls in shallow airtight containers or wrap them tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Properly stored, cooked cabbage rolls will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
• Write the date and contents on the freezer bag or container, and freeze the cabbage rolls for up to 1 month.

Enjoy vegan cabbage rolls for a great weeknight meal or a holiday celebration. It is October, after all! And Oktoberfest time!

Great Weeknight Meals the Whole Family Enjoys!

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