Claudia's Cookbook - Cabbage Rolls

You don’t get any more Ukrainian than Cabbage Rolls. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was fed these as my first experience with “real food” as a baby. Not one special dinner has gone by in our family without cabbage rolls being served. There are many variations. But I can tell you now that nobody’s cabbage rolls compare to the ones that Claudia makes. They are simple the best. Not too tomato soupy, not too cabbagey. They are perfect little delights. However, I learned in this blog process that I apparently haven’t inherited the Ukrainian cabbage rolling gene, as I found the process extremely frustrating. My 1/4 Slovakian genes took over my hands and rendered me incapable of “tucking and rolling” the rice and cabbage. But do not fret kids….if you weren’t blessed with the Ukrainian cooking gene like me, it just takes a bit of practise and patience. …and Claudia laughing at you when you curse the rice that fell from your hands and onto your clean floor.

For the best Cabbage Rolls in the history of the world, you will need:

3 cups short grain rice

6 cups water

3/4 cups margarine (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)

1 tsp salt

1 lb ground beef

1 onion

1 can tomato soup

2 heads cabbage (boiled, sectioned, frozen and then thawed)

1/4 lb bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

A note about boiling and freezing the cabbage heads: We find that when the cabbage leaves have been boiled then frozen and thawed, they are softer and a lot easier to roll than just boiling and cooling. 

We boil the whole cabbage head in a large pot for about a minute. We then peel the top layer off and discard. From there we take the leaves off layer by layer while the cabbage is still in the water. We cool the cabbage leaves on a cookie sheet and once cooled, roll some of the leaves together and freeze. When you are ready to make your cabbage rolls, take leaves out of the freezer and thaw on the counter. We prefer this method because you can buy cabbage when it is in season (summer for us here in Canada) and you can have it available all year round. 

Bring 6 cups of water, 1/4 cup margarine,  and your 3 cups of short grain rice to a boil and simmer until cooked.

While your rice is cooking, brown your ground beef with 1/2 of your onion chopped.

While that is going you might as well brown your bacon along with 1/4 of your onion chopped.

Keep your cooked rice in the large pot.

When your ground beef and onions are cooked, mix in with your white rice and set aside.

Mix your can of tomato soup with 1/2 cup water and set aside.

Next step, bring out the margarine (or butter) and melt with your remaining 1/4 onion chopped.

Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a large casserole dish and spoon one layer of your tomato soup, bacon and onion mixture.

Now comes the fun part.

Take a cabbage leaf (roughly the size of your hand) and lay it flat.

Take a small spoonful of your rice and beef mixture and place it on the top 1/3 of the cabbage leaf.

Begin to fold the edges over the rice/beef mixture. Seriously, this looks a thousand times easier than it is (at least for me!)

Shape and roll the cabbage leaf and rice/beef mixture to the bottom.

Tuck in both edges of the cabbage roll like so.

Viola!

Place in your casserole dish.

In ten minutes time, (or 30 minutes time if you’re me), you have two nice layers of cabbage rolls in your casserole dish.

In between the first and second layer, and on top of the second layer, add more tomato soup mixture along with bacon and onion.

Remember that margarine (or butter) and onions we melted?

Pour it over the two layers of cabbage rolls.

Amazing.

Lookin’ good!

Cover second layer with a few remaining cabbage leaves and place foil over top.

Bake in a 325 F oven on the middle rack for approximately 3 hours or until cabbage is soft.

One thing Claudia requested I mention (besides the fact that she is a thousand times better at rolling cabbage rolls than I will ever be) is that you can also freeze cabbage rolls and cook them at a later date. We do this often.

Place uncooked cabbage rolls on a baking pan lined with plastic wrap. Wrap thoroughly and freeze up to a few months.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

You might as well have two.

You know you want to.

From our Ukrainian house to yours.

Cabbage Rolls
Serves 8
The best Ukrainian cabbage roll recipe in the entire world.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
3 hr
Total Time
3 hr 20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
3 hr
Total Time
3 hr 20 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 cups short grain rice
  2. 6 cups water
  3. 3/4 cups margarine (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)
  4. 1 tsp salt
  5. 1 lb ground beef
  6. 1 onion
  7. 1 can tomato soup
  8. 2 heads cabbage (boiled, sectioned, frozen and then thawed)
  9. 1/4 lb bacon
  10. Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring 6 cups of water, 1/4 cup margarine, and your 3 cups of short grain rice to a boil and simmer until cooked. Keep your cooked rice in the large pot.
  2. While your rice is cooking, brown your ground beef with 1/2 of your onion chopped.
  3. Brown your bacon along with 1/4 of your onion chopped.
  4. When your ground beef and onions are cooked, mix in with your white rice and set aside.
  5. Mix your can of tomato soup with 1/2 cup water and set aside.
  6. Melt 1/2 cup margarine (or butter) with your remaining 1/4 onion chopped.
  7. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a large casserole dish and spoon one layer of your tomato soup, bacon and onion mixture.
  8. Take a cabbage leaf (roughly the size of your hand) and lay it flat. Take a small spoonful of your rice and beef mixture and place it on the top 1/3 of the cabbage leaf. Begin to fold the edges over the rice/beef mixture. Shape and roll the cabbage leaf and rice/beef mixture to the bottom.Tuck in both edges of the cabbage roll. Place cabbage roll in your casserole dish. Continue to layer cabbage rolls into two layers in your casserole dish. In between the first and second layer, and on top of the second layer, add more tomato soup mixture along with bacon and onion.
  9. Pour melted butter and onions over the two layers of cabbage rolls in the casserole dish.
  10. Cover second layer with a few remaining cabbage leaves and place foil over top.
  11. Bake in a 325 F oven on the middle rack for approximately 3 hours or until cabbage is soft.
  12. Remove from oven and enjoy!
Notes
  1. A note about boiling and freezing the cabbage heads: We find that when the cabbage leaves have been boiled then frozen and thawed, they are softer and a lot easier to roll than just boiling and cooling. We boil the whole cabbage head in a large pot for about a minute. We then peel the top layer off and discard. From there we take the leaves off layer by layer while the cabbage is still in the water. We cool the cabbage leaves on a cookie sheet and once cooled, roll some of the leaves together and freeze. When you are ready to make your cabbage rolls, take leaves out of the freezer and thaw on the counter. We prefer this method because you can buy cabbage when it is in season (summer for us here in Canada) and you can have it available all year round.
  2. You can also freeze cabbage rolls and cook them at a later date. Place uncooked cabbage rolls on a baking pan lined with plastic wrap. Wrap thoroughly and freeze up to a few months.
Claudia's Cookbook http://www.claudiascookbook.com/

127 Comments on Cabbage Rolls

    • Joan
      January 13, 2018 at 11:08 AM (6 years ago)

      put the whole cabbage in the freezer when its on sale. Take it out and put in a colander the evening before you make them. The leaves will just defrost and
      peal off. No boiling required.
      Meat mixture should be Veal and Pork. Beef would just be an extender.

      Reply
      • Kate Pigula
        February 17, 2018 at 1:52 PM (6 years ago)

        I find the cabbage is tough and stringy when you freeze it No matter how long you cook it . it still comes out tough and stringy.

        Reply
        • Linda Wilks
          January 9, 2019 at 4:46 PM (5 years ago)

          Maybe try a green cabbage.. Not a winter cabbage.. According to my late mother in law. Those winter cabbages will not cook at all lol kee the summer green ones
          I ALSO, PERSONALLY PREFER TO STEAM CABBAGE & core all..before freezing..

          Reply
      • Gloria
        February 21, 2018 at 10:46 AM (6 years ago)

        JÒAN this method of just freezing the cabbage works the best. No boiling required. I just wash the head whole and freeze. It takes longer to thaw but is so easy. Thanks for sharing

        Reply
        • Adele
          August 17, 2021 at 4:14 PM (3 years ago)

          I tried that but 5he cabbage ended up tough as leather

          Reply
      • Mary Read
        May 5, 2018 at 2:45 PM (6 years ago)

        The only thing I would suggest is never to use foil wrap with an acidic food like tomato sauce. The foil will break down in tiny bits in your food.

        Reply
        • Richard Girouard
          January 26, 2022 at 7:24 AM (2 years ago)

          Add some brown sugar to your tomato sauce to reduce the acidity. My roommate is a Chef and he says to try that.

          Reply
          • Grimace
            January 28, 2024 at 2:54 PM (2 months ago)

            I put oil spray on the bottom of the foil.

      • Kathy
        August 29, 2019 at 8:26 PM (5 years ago)

        Yes I do the same, no boiling just freeze, cabbage rolls are so labor intensive anyway, nice to get rid of a step. I cook my rolls low and slow and they always turn out tender, cut with a fork and full of flavour.

        Reply
      • Adele
        August 17, 2021 at 4:10 PM (3 years ago)

        I tried that but the cabbage was really tough.

        Reply
    • Susan
      April 28, 2018 at 12:03 AM (6 years ago)

      I love ur way of Cooking Cabbage rolls, But being that I am Romanian Gypsy, We use pork cubes and Stuff Cabbage, Every thing is the Same except for the Meat,And the Sauce, No Soup,

      Reply
      • Kit
        November 3, 2019 at 12:41 PM (4 years ago)

        Hi Susan….what kind of sauce if not soup…help.

        Reply
      • Mihaela
        December 3, 2019 at 10:58 AM (4 years ago)

        Hi Susan, I am Romanian too but we are not using that much rice. 3 cups of uncooked rice for 1lb of meat is extremely too much. And we don’t cook the meat before stuffing the cabbage. But I will try this recipe as a different kind of cabbage rolls.

        Reply
    • Adele Doyle
      January 2, 2020 at 6:41 PM (4 years ago)

      Hi, it’s been a long time since I’ve made cabbage rolls, I use meatloaf mix. The freezing of the cabbage sounds interesting. I’ll try that next time seems to make it easier. I just bought a roller for making them.

      Reply
  1. Kristen
    October 19, 2010 at 2:58 PM (13 years ago)

    Those look absolutely delicious.

    Reply
  2. Prairie Story
    October 20, 2010 at 8:26 PM (13 years ago)

    Mmmmm…exactly how my grandma made them. I’m starting to think we may be related! ~Alisin

    Reply
  3. foodies at home
    November 8, 2010 at 3:53 PM (13 years ago)

    I have never heard of cabbage rolls but I might need to try them soon! We will see if my Italian hands can handle the job! lol

    Reply
    • Heidy Wells
      September 14, 2022 at 6:59 PM (2 years ago)

      I just made these cabbage rolls with sweet Italian sausage.They are so much more flavorful.

      Reply
  4. Claudia's Cookbook
    November 8, 2010 at 6:21 PM (13 years ago)

    They are a must try…simple and delicious – just like Italian food 🙂

    Reply
  5. Linda Kirton
    January 30, 2011 at 4:42 PM (13 years ago)

    Made Claudia’s cabbage rolls at Christmas. Best I’ve ever made!!!

    Reply
  6. Naomi (formerly of Winnipeg. now from Edmonton)
    December 19, 2011 at 3:22 PM (12 years ago)

    Made these last week for Christmas but we tried a few, just to “test” them, they were the best I’d ever made. Awesome! Made some without the ground beef, but onion and bacon with the rice (as that’s how hubby likes them) and some melted butter and half and half cream poured over, instead of tomato soup. Decadent!

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 19, 2011 at 3:59 PM (12 years ago)

      Thanks for sharing! Very happy the cabbage rolls turned out for you Naomi! They are tricky, but well worth it 🙂

      Reply
      • 's langley
        December 2, 2016 at 11:24 AM (7 years ago)

        My mom taught me to roll them from the bottom up instead of the way you do it. Might be easier.

        Reply
      • Carol Fierro
        June 10, 2023 at 10:49 AM (9 months ago)

        Sounds like my Mom’s recipe. Except no bacon and no butter. Otherwise same they are delicious I love the tomato soup taste. Thank you for printing this recipe.

        Reply
  7. Trish
    January 6, 2012 at 2:27 PM (12 years ago)

    When you fry the bacon with the onion, do you drain the fat?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 6, 2012 at 2:51 PM (12 years ago)

      Hi Trish – thanks for your question! Claudia insists you do not drain the fat, as you need the delicious “bacon flavour”. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Trish
    January 6, 2012 at 3:20 PM (12 years ago)

    THANK U! I didn’t think so…making right now-my hubby Ukrainian and I was looking for a new recipe..one more question……no spices to the burger/onion mixture? MERRY CHRISTMAS

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 6, 2012 at 3:41 PM (12 years ago)

      No spices are necessary. You can throw in some salt and pepper for good measure, but that is all!

      Reply
  9. Trish
    January 6, 2012 at 4:33 PM (12 years ago)

    xoxo blessings to you and yours!

    Reply
  10. Trish
    January 7, 2012 at 12:27 PM (12 years ago)

    These were DELICIOUS! The step by step pictures and directions were so helpful. Thanks so much; I’m so glad I found this site and recipe! I’ll be making them often!

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 7, 2012 at 12:43 PM (12 years ago)

      Fantastic Trish! So happy they turned out for you and your family enjoyed them!

      Reply
  11. Dorothy
    March 13, 2012 at 1:50 AM (12 years ago)

    These look great! Can you tell me approximately how many cabbage rolls this recipe makes? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      March 13, 2012 at 1:54 PM (12 years ago)

      Thanks for your comment Dorothy! It easily makes a couple dozen cabbage rolls. Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  12. Heather Boyko Brown
    September 18, 2012 at 9:01 PM (12 years ago)

    I just found this site while searching for some great Ukrainian recipes. My grandma passed 7 years ago and I never learned any of her recipes. Stupid me! I am going to be trying your Nalysnyky recipe asap. I haven’t had a “fix” for about 10 years. Can’t wait! Oh, also from Saskatchewan….Watson area…tons of Ukrainian heritage there.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      September 23, 2012 at 7:38 PM (11 years ago)

      Thank you so much for sharing your story Heather and very sorry to hear about your Grandma. Please let me know how you like the Ukrainian recipes and if they were similar to your Grandma’s!

      Reply
  13. Ruth Persson
    November 28, 2012 at 6:00 AM (11 years ago)

    If I freeze the cabbage rolls uncooked–what is the process for then baking?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 17, 2012 at 9:57 PM (11 years ago)

      Hi Ruth, you simply place the frozen cabbage rolls in your roaster, layer your butter, bacon, onions and tomato soup and bake! Claudia bakes her cabbage rolls from frozen all the time and they turn out great.

      Reply
    • Barb
      October 5, 2018 at 2:42 PM (5 years ago)

      Hi. I find cooking them in a crockpot works really well, no scorching & the crockpot creates condensation keeping them moist. The crockpot works well as it’s own serving dish, no oven space required.

      Reply
      • Jeani
        January 8, 2023 at 4:53 PM (1 year ago)

        OH NO!! We as kids would fight over the scorched ones taken from the outer edges of a navy blue speckled roaster!! Good times!!

        Reply
  14. Luann Randall
    December 27, 2012 at 1:35 AM (11 years ago)

    My Grandmother and Mother used to fill them with a mixtureof grits, mashed potatoes and rice. Would you happen to have a recipe for that filling?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 27, 2012 at 5:21 PM (11 years ago)

      Hi Luann. Happy Holidays! Unfortunately I’ve never had cabbage rolls with that type of filling. Our family only makes the traditional filling that you see in the posted recipe. The potatoes and grits filling sounds interesting. I’d like to try that one day.

      Reply
  15. Trish
    January 5, 2013 at 5:58 PM (11 years ago)

    Chrystos Rhazdayetsia! Getting ready to make your delicious cabbage rolls again this year! XOXOXO

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 5, 2013 at 6:06 PM (11 years ago)

      Chrystos Rhazdayetsia to you too Trish! All the best to you and your family. Let us know how the cabbage rolls turn out! 🙂

      Reply
      • Trish
        January 7, 2013 at 7:49 PM (11 years ago)

        Delicious as always! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas too!

        Reply
  16. Lindsay
    January 5, 2013 at 7:36 PM (11 years ago)

    Do we need to freeze the cabbage before rolling, or just steam and seperate?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 5, 2013 at 7:59 PM (11 years ago)

      It’s a lot easier to roll them out afterward if you blanch and then freeze them. Even if it’s only for a few hours, but ideally over night.

      Reply
  17. Tess
    January 7, 2013 at 1:10 AM (11 years ago)

    Hi there 🙂 I come from Ukrainian heritage myself and grew up having cabbage rolls at every family gathering! Unfortunately I never learned to make them from my Grandmother before I moved to South Africa and so I haven’t had them in over 20 years!! 🙁 my grandmother was never really one for the email or internet and sadly she passed away this past year. I would really like to honour her memory by ‘rekindling’ this tradition with my own family and so would like to thank you very much for posting this recipe. I have one small question however. I’m pretty sure, going through the steps and ingredients I see listed that this recipe is very close to that of my grandmothers (bacon, tomato soup, etc) the only critical ingredient that appears to be missing would be that of the ‘kasha’ or ‘buckwheat’. Critical only to me and the memory of my tastebuds! LOL 😀 would you perhaps be able to suggest how I might adapt this recipe to include this? Would it be added to the rice while cooking or replace the rice entirely? And if its meant to be added, would you have an approximate measurement or quantity to suggest? Thank you so much! I’m looking very forward to trying this out (with or without the buckwheat! LOL) Happy New Year! God Bless, Tess

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      January 10, 2013 at 4:15 AM (11 years ago)

      Hi Tess! Happy New Year to you as well! Thank you for sharing your story. I’m glad you can find some comfort in our Cabbage Roll recipe 🙂 We have never made our cabbage roll recipe with buckwheat, but from what I understand, you simply replace the rice with buckwheat. The recipes I’ve seen have usually used 1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked buckwheat. I am now curious to make our own cabbage roll recipe with buckwheat, so thank you very much again for your comments! All the best!

      Reply
  18. Tracy
    July 1, 2013 at 4:44 AM (11 years ago)

    Just tried your recipe today. They we’re great though my better half (the Ukrainian half) wants to try to double the meat next time (we favor a lower carb diet). But this is absolutely a great recipe. Thank you! Very close to his grandmother’s recipe.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      July 2, 2013 at 3:20 AM (11 years ago)

      Thanks for your feedback Tracy! You can’t go wrong with double meat 🙂 So glad you and your better half enjoyed the cabbage rolls and that they reminded you of your Grandmother’s. That’s pretty much the best compliment ever 🙂

      Reply
  19. Chris
    October 6, 2013 at 2:05 PM (10 years ago)

    I never really learned how to make cabbage rolls from my Ukrainian parents. (Dad spent just as much time in the kitchen as Mum) I therefore had no skills to pass on to my daughter. One day she blew my socks off with the best cabbage rolls ever which was the recipe she got from your website. Well I finally made them yesterday and they are fantastic! Thanks for reconnecting me to my heritage. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
    Thanks so much, Chris

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      October 6, 2013 at 8:14 PM (10 years ago)

      Thank you so much for sharing Chris! Your comment seriously warmed my heart. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cabbage rolls and it connected you to your heritage 🙂 That is really the whole reason why we started this blog in the first place!! Thanks again!

      Reply
  20. courtney
    November 14, 2013 at 8:48 PM (10 years ago)

    Absolutely delicious i suggest doubling the sauce though!

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      November 23, 2013 at 8:47 PM (10 years ago)

      Glad you enjoyed them Courtney!

      Reply
  21. Luba
    December 22, 2013 at 9:56 AM (10 years ago)

    Thanks so much for your website. Just made the cabbage rolls and froze them for Christmas dinner. Your recipe sounds very close to how my mom used to make holobchi.

    Does your family make chlystu (some people call them nothings). They are deep fried doughy twists or bow-ties with icing sugar sprinkled on top. They are very light and crumbly and melt in your mouth.

    One more question, I noticed you mention your baba’s meatballs but I can’t find the recipe. Just wondering if its similar to my moms (made with beef, pork and cornmeal).

    Again great site, it sure helped to give me confidence to make the cabbage rolls.

    Chlustos pozdraetza!
    Luba from Manitoba

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 22, 2013 at 6:21 PM (10 years ago)

      Hi Luba! Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad our holobchi recipe helped you out! I was very intimidated the first time I made them as well but found the images and making them with my Mom helped. Regarding chlystu, I know exactly what you’re talking about. My family never really made them before but I can try to find a recipe to try for you! I’ve had them before and they are yummy. I have never posted the recipe for my Baba’s meatballs only because I don’t have it. I do believe my Mom (Claudia) does so I will post it in the new year! 🙂

      Thanks again Luba!! Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

      Reply
  22. Ruth
    February 8, 2014 at 9:47 AM (10 years ago)

    I froze these cabbage rolls after baking them in the sauce. When I reheat them in the oven what temperature and allotted time should I use; should I thaw them first?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      February 9, 2014 at 3:50 PM (10 years ago)

      Hi Ruth, you can place them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven from frozen. No need to thaw first. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  23. Jonathan
    February 15, 2014 at 3:49 PM (10 years ago)

    I’m so glad I stumbled onto this recipe. My wife and my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning and afternoon is cooking something together, the longer it takes the better! That’s what Saturdays are made for. We just took these out of the oven and they’re so delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, and know that you have given us a new favorite recipe for cold Michigan Saturdays! 🙂

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      February 16, 2014 at 4:30 PM (10 years ago)

      Hi Jonathan! I am SO happy you enjoyed the cabbage roll recipe! You and your wife sound totally adorable. I firmly believe that a couple that cooks together, stays together. All the best and stay warm in Michigan 🙂

      Reply
  24. Corinna Caudill
    February 17, 2014 at 7:08 AM (10 years ago)

    LOL! “You might as well have two. You know you want to.” 🙂

    Reply
  25. May
    March 19, 2014 at 3:37 AM (10 years ago)

    Can I bake them then freeze? Like home-made TV dinner. Would that affect the texture or taste?

    I know a few friends who are always on the go, & I wonder if I can make these beforehand, so they can just heat it up in the microwave for dinner when they get home.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      March 19, 2014 at 9:39 AM (10 years ago)

      Hi May, You definitely can bake and freeze them. We typically assemble the cabbage rolls and freeze them before baking, but I don’t see why you couldn’t bake them and freeze them afterwards.

      Reply
      • Peggy Tokarek
        January 5, 2018 at 11:25 PM (6 years ago)

        The cabbage rolls do not taste quite as good if you cook them first and then freeze them.

        Reply
  26. Roxanne Marleau
    December 14, 2014 at 8:21 PM (9 years ago)

    I just found your website. I would like to try the cabbage rolls. I am wondering about what kind of cabbage you used. It seems wrinkled and not like the kind I have seen in the store which seems flatter and thicker. Is it a special kind?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 14, 2014 at 8:25 PM (9 years ago)

      Hi Roxanne, no special kind. We use cabbage we find at farmers markets in the summer but you can use the typical variety you find in your local store. It appears “wrinkly” because it’s been boiled, frozen and thawed. That way it’s softer and easier to handle.

      Reply
    • Sandra D
      October 25, 2015 at 12:14 AM (8 years ago)

      My family finds that summer cabbage is a thinner cabbage than fall cabbage & once leaves are steamed, frozen & then thawed makes it much easier to roll filling up & stays wrapped around fill better. We learnt as children that different regions of Ukraine have variations on the main recipe. My mom’s family never included beef in their Holopsti, just bacon, onion, dill & rice fill. Tomato juice or crushed tomatoes were used on regular cabbage. We also made sour leaf cabbage rolls, leaves were soured just like sauerkraut & fill was only rice or kascha & fried onions (sometime bacon would end up in there too) & it was roasted in the oven with butter & onions & some water on bottom of casserole dish, but at a lower temp. & a bit longer so the cabbage was steam cooked & water didn’t boil out too fast, checking regularly to make sure 1/2″ water was always on the bottom of the dish. We would cook for 1 1/2 – 2 hours at 250 F time depending on how many layers of cabbage rolls were in casserole dish, & found slow cooking didn’t dry out the food as much. My mother-in-law, her heritage is from another region of Ukraine, close to the Poland border has very similar recipes to my mom’s, but she has a meatless version for each type of Holopsti, for religious holidays that require meatless dishes, eg. Good Friday @ Easter.
      With regards to Luba’s comment: “Does your family make chlystu (some people call them nothings). They are deep fried doughy twists or bow-ties with icing sugar sprinkled on top. They are very light and crumbly and melt in your mouth.”
      My mom (FYI who is 88 years old) still makes the “Sweet Nothings” or Khrustyky at least a couple times a year. If you are unable to find your recipe, email me & I can dig her’s out & post for you
      Love your blog Claudia & recipes, you have a few I don’t have so will check out all your recipes & watch for new ones. Both my mom & mother-in-law (both in their late 80’s) are still healthy & active & make many of our family’s traditional dishes. We also have collected many Ukrainian Cook books over the years too, if you are looking for something specific I may be able to help you out, just email me to let me know to check what I’ve got.

      Reply
      • Claudia's Cookbook
        October 25, 2015 at 1:30 PM (8 years ago)

        Thanks for sharing Sandra! We actually have a Khrustyky recipe on our blog 🙂

        Reply
  27. Lesya
    December 18, 2014 at 5:18 AM (9 years ago)

    Hi Jaime,
    I will definitely try the Claudia’s recipe. My recipe is a little different: I do not cook rice until cooked, just pour on it boiling water and leave it for 1 or 2 hours. And I do not cook the meat, mix it with rice raw. Then I cook the голубці 🙂 in broth or water and serve with sour cream.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 18, 2014 at 8:43 AM (9 years ago)

      Sounds great Lesya! Let us know how you like our recipe!! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
      • Lesya
        December 19, 2014 at 1:34 AM (9 years ago)

        Happy Holidays to you too!

        Reply
  28. Marilyn Cherniawski
    March 1, 2015 at 5:02 PM (9 years ago)

    Hi Lesya: Just a little tip..1. only partially cook your rice (it must be short grain makes for stickier much easier to roll rice) 2. for rolling the holubsi..when the leaf is in your hand put the rice mixture on the bottom 3rd of the leaf, fold the sides over the rice, bottom edge over rice & with your heal of your thumb you are pushing & rolling the holubsi up to the top…way easier..try it. Let me know how it works for you..I’m Ukrainian & have been making holubsi for years. The stickier the rice the easier it is to roll.

    Reply
  29. Nicole Traugott
    May 1, 2015 at 3:22 AM (9 years ago)

    It is wonderful to know that I’m not the only one who becomes excited to celebrate the family traditions around the holidays! Enjoy them while you can! My mother recently passed (this June will be three years), and my vegetarian brother was given all of the family cook books. (haha,thanks for the laughs, mama!), so I can’t remember most of our Ukrainian family recipes. I knew there was a reason she would constantly yell at me to pay attention me in Slovak. 😛 The one language I dreaded hearing when I was in trouble. Ha!

    I remember my grandmother using both ground lamb and beef once in her holopchi recipe (I was very young – my mother only used beef). Also, both my mother and grandmother never used bacon in their recipes, and I don’t ever remember my mom ever baking hers. Does anyone recall the recipe being cooked on the stove? If they do, how long do you boil/ simmer it? This is one recipe that brings me back home, and I have so many fond memories of helping my mom cook it. I’m just having trouble remembering how long it simmered in the tomato sauce. Marilyn is correct – the sticker the rice, the easier it is to roll. Thank goodness for accidentally learning how to make sticky rice! 🙂

    I’m just asking around because I would love to have most of my family recipes back, and you’ve done a wonderful job so far with helping all of us! Thank you very much!

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      May 4, 2015 at 3:13 PM (9 years ago)

      Thank you so much for sharing Nicole!! It’s funny, I dreaded hearing my parents and grandparents speaking ‘loudly’ to me in Ukrainian as well as a child. I knew I was in trouble, but I never fully understood how MUCH trouble! 🙂 I don’t have a recipe for stove top cabbage rolls but hoping someone else who comes across the comments here does. All the best to you!

      Reply
      • Donna
        October 10, 2016 at 7:30 PM (7 years ago)

        My polish grandmother used a pressure cooker to cook her stuffed cabbage

        Reply
      • Donna
        October 10, 2016 at 7:32 PM (7 years ago)

        My polish grandmother used a pressure cooker to cook her stuffed cabbage. We didn’t use tomato juice or soup

        Reply
  30. Samantha
    August 29, 2015 at 9:05 PM (9 years ago)

    My mom has always made cabbage rolls and baked them in the sauce and then portioning them and freezing in the sauce. She rolls the meat/rice mixture raw….
    I would like to try freezing without baking them first… So do I brown the meat then roll in the wilted cabbage then freeze and transfer to a freezer bag once frozen?

    I do have a tip for you… You don’t need to boil the cabbage before freezing… If you throw the cabbage in the freezer for a few days and then thaw it it will be perfectly wilted to roll easily without burning your fingers boiling it. 🙂

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      September 2, 2015 at 4:14 PM (9 years ago)

      Yes, you need to brown the meat and then roll it in the cabbage. Freeze on a baking pan and then transfer to freezer bag once frozen. That way they stay separated 🙂

      Reply
  31. Irene Kielty
    December 14, 2015 at 7:23 PM (8 years ago)

    The filling for your cabbage rolls sounds very much like my mothers except she added fried onions and bacon right into the mixture. As for the beef, she would mix the raw beef into the hot rice and trust me, it got cooked, LOL. She used tomato juice, but I like the idea of tomato soup. Either way, sounds so similar. Think I should make a small batch for Christmas. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  32. Sharon Columpsi
    January 8, 2016 at 6:13 PM (8 years ago)

    Nicole Traugott….my mother always cooked our cabbage rolls on the top of stove.. She would boil them in water and our cabbage rolls were always made with sauer cabbage. She would let them simmer on low heat for hours, but make sure the water never cooks dry. She also canned them and oh my goodness so delicious. Also our cabbage rolls were made with all ground pork.

    Reply
  33. Joyce
    December 5, 2016 at 10:30 PM (7 years ago)

    I am wondering if you can tell me how long I should bake the frozen uncooked cabbage rolls for. I know from previous comments that they should be baked at 350′ and it would help to know for how long to cook them.
    Thank you for sharing your recipes. 🙂

    Reply
  34. Crystal
    December 6, 2016 at 7:34 PM (7 years ago)

    I was shown an easier way to prepare the cabbage leaves. Core the cabbage and freeze for a few days, pull out of freezer and put the head of cabbage in hot water in the sink. While cooking your filling, the leaves peel off easily. You may have to change the water a few times to get all the leaves off. But are so much easier to work with.

    Reply
  35. Amiee
    December 19, 2016 at 9:56 PM (7 years ago)

    Hi
    I was wondering how many cabbage rolls this receipe roughly makes?

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 23, 2016 at 9:55 AM (7 years ago)

      It makes approximately 5 dozen or so. It depends on how big the head of cabbage you are using is.

      Reply
  36. Helena
    August 25, 2017 at 10:07 PM (7 years ago)

    Just made them tonight… there’s so many insider tips in the recipe! They turned out great, I even made them vegan!
    Thank you for the details 🙂

    Reply
  37. Debbie
    August 29, 2017 at 8:47 AM (7 years ago)

    First time making cabbage rolls here. My leaves are very big do I cut them down, and if so vertically or horizontally? Also, what about the hard vein down the centre do you trim that down? Thanks!

    Reply
  38. FirstShay
    September 24, 2017 at 1:09 PM (6 years ago)

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  39. Joseph
    October 26, 2017 at 11:18 PM (6 years ago)

    Haha. I am just making Halubshi and your recipe is almost the same as mine. The only difference is I use ground pork with the ground beef and I mix tomato juice, tomato soup and beef base and some water, then pour all over and cook for about 3.5 hours at 300 degrees….Perfect every time, have some kielbasa to go with 🙂

    Short Grain Rice IS A MUST! Hold’s together perfectly.

    Reply
    • Barbara
      November 1, 2017 at 8:30 AM (6 years ago)

      Thank you for your reply Joseph. I will not take any chances this Christmas. Shopping today and I will buy “short grain rice.”

      Reply
  40. Barbara
    October 29, 2017 at 12:47 PM (6 years ago)

    Why “short grain rice” just asking because I have “long grain rice in the pantry. Also, why 6 cups of water to 3 cups of rice, should I not just cook rice according to the package directions. Hope you can help, have only made once years ago and I want to try again for this Christmas. Barbara

    Reply
  41. Ameeto
    January 9, 2018 at 2:18 PM (6 years ago)

    Thanks I’ll try it

    Reply
  42. cindy
    January 10, 2018 at 5:49 PM (6 years ago)

    thank you so much for posting this recipe with such precise detailed direction…i just attempted cabbage rolls for the first time in decades…my first attempt when i got married in 87 was a disaster…so never tried again altho i loooove cabbage rolls… found this on pinterest and they looked amazing so i got brave and gave it a go! yay! they are in the oven now…your tips on the leaf prep- boiling/freeze/thawing- was the secret i needed to discover and they rolled so easily…can’t wait to enjoy the end result…i have lived in ontario for 30 years and was nostalgic for manitoba cooking and found your site for ukranian food…much appreciated! can’t wait to try some of your other recipes….cindy

    Reply
  43. Kate Pigula
    February 14, 2018 at 6:17 PM (6 years ago)

    Claudia.I line the bottom of my roaster pan with the old leaves that took of of the head of cabbage,Have you ever put sauerkraut on top of the holupchi when you bake them? It gives such great flavor.

    Reply
  44. Kate Pigula
    February 14, 2018 at 6:23 PM (6 years ago)

    I lined the bottom of roaster with the first leaves from head of cabbage.Have you ever spread a can of sauerkraut over the top of the halupchi to bake? It gives it great flavor.

    Reply
    • Cathy Roussell
      August 27, 2020 at 11:07 AM (4 years ago)

      Years ago I made cabbage rolls and was advised to put sauerkraut between the layers in the baking pan. They were so delicious everyone wanted the recipe but I did not give away my secret ingredient until now. It gave another dimension of flavour.

      Reply
      • Claudia's Cookbook
        March 1, 2021 at 3:21 PM (3 years ago)

        Love that idea! Thanks for sharing your secret 😉

        Reply
  45. Ardina
    July 15, 2018 at 9:08 AM (6 years ago)

    My sister in law taught me to make cabbage rolls and would slap my hand if I attempted to roll them on the table lol. She insisted that you roll in your hand as you have shown. She also fried pork fat (not salt pork)cut into very small pieces along with ground pork and beef. I also found it interesting that she added a tablespoon of white vinegar to tomatoe juice when layering. I love making these for special occasions and happy I found your site!

    Reply
  46. Frances Van Den Bergh
    August 24, 2018 at 1:54 PM (6 years ago)

    Hi there. Here in South Africa we soften the cabbage leaf which ever way you want but we place the cabbage leaf on the flat surface of the table/working area, cut out the hard part of the leaf, place a spoon full of mixture on leaf, fold it over, fold the two sides over like a parcel and continue to roll the leaf over. Much easier than trying to wrap in while holding it in your hands. Hope this makes sense.
    Regards Frances from South Africa

    Reply
    • Peggy
      December 16, 2018 at 4:06 PM (5 years ago)

      I agree with rolling them on the table. I’ve been making them that way for years. I am going to try this recipe that is a bit different from what I’m used to. I’ve never precooked the meat ~ so we will see. It sounds delicious!

      Reply
  47. Sandra Aho-Procyshyn
    September 9, 2018 at 4:23 PM (6 years ago)

    Wow! They look exactly like my mom’s “holopchi”! I’m a farm girl from rural Manitoba, Canada. A holiday did not pass without my Ukranian~Polish mom making these ! They are delicious and beautiful works of art!

    Reply
  48. Chandra
    October 3, 2018 at 11:13 PM (5 years ago)

    I know everyone cooks cabbage rolls different but how come you cook meat and onions before rolling just curious ? Love the steps wikl be trying it this way for sure !

    Reply
  49. Vera
    October 15, 2018 at 5:39 PM (5 years ago)

    These sound delicious, got my ingredients today, I will definitely double the recipe. My father-in-law (Ukrainian) taught me to use a sour head of cabbage, so I always do one green, one sour, throughout the roaster and they are just simply amazing.

    Reply
  50. Lyne
    November 1, 2018 at 5:11 PM (5 years ago)

    I’ve enjoyed cabbage roles since I was young as a French Canadian & I always thought this was a traditional dish. Now in my much later years I discover it is Hungarian or Slovak..in any case it is sumptuous & delicious & will definitely try this recipe. Thank you & keep giving us your recipes of origine.

    Reply
  51. Carolyn Thomas
    December 24, 2018 at 2:20 PM (5 years ago)

    Hello everybody! I just found this recipe when I was Googling “how long to cook cabbage rolls?” Most online recipes say 1 hour, but I have memories of my late Mum’s cabbage rolls in the big roasting pan for a few hours (the navy blue roaster with the white dots, the only one I use now for my own cabbage rolls every Christmas Eve!)

    So I was happy to find your recipe (and photos!) calling for 325 x 3 hours. Perfect! I think the ‘rolls’ seem to stay perfectly shaped with a longer slower oven time. Like you, we also cook our meat and onions before rolling (less of a ‘raw onion’ taste, even though we cook the heck out of them anyway!)

    My mum always used tomato juice instead of soup, but several years ago, we discovered that spaghetti sauce gives an extra little kick.

    I learned a few new things from your mother’s recipe (even though I’ve been making them since getting married in 1971) – like pouring sauteed onions and bacon over all the layers in the roasting pan before putting them in the oven. OMG, that sounds terrific! (And really, can you ever have too much butter and bacon?) I also learned about freezing them uncooked from you (we’ve always frozen batches of cooked cabbage rolls – but you’re right, the texture’s just not the same as fresh-cooked).

    And thanks also to Kate Pigula here, for the great suggestion about spreading saurkraut in between the cabbage roll layers!! I must try that next time!

    The comments are very entertaining! Thanks everybody!

    I suspect that a lot of these variations depend on what geographical region of Ukraine (or Poland, or wherever the family tradition dictates historically) which explains the variety in methods, and also suggests that there is no one “right” way to do it (despite what our mothers thought!)

    For example, my mum told me that the “true” tradition in the old country for the 12-course Christmas Eve feast was to go completely meatless (just basic rice, onions, garlic and dill in the filling) but over the years we’ve played around with adding ground beef or mushrooms or even that spaghetti sauce to the basics.

    Thanks for the cabbage roll lesson!

    Reply
  52. John
    January 11, 2019 at 10:44 PM (5 years ago)

    Easy and tasty. Not authentic.

    Reply
  53. Lidija
    February 28, 2019 at 3:17 PM (5 years ago)

    Too much rice. In Macedonia we put in the meat only 100 gr rice of 600 gr. meat. And rice dont to be coocked. Tomato souce we changing with 1 spoon red paprika dust. The macedonian SARMA ( cabbage rolls) has very good taste, because coocking on 100o C all night in owen.

    Reply
  54. Denise Mackereth
    March 10, 2019 at 10:45 AM (5 years ago)

    Thank you for sharing this recipe, from my vague recollections of make Holubsi with my Mom as a child, I was her rolling up helper, this is the same recipe. The only difference was she lined the bottom with outer cabbages leaves and also on top. I am the only one of the cousins that has not tried to make them but making them today. My mom was the Holubsi queen in her day so I hope mine come out as good as hers!

    Reply
  55. Petunia509174
    July 26, 2019 at 4:10 PM (5 years ago)

    The best way to make the cabbage for the cabbage rolls is to par boil the leaves. You can freeze them after and the texture won’t change from when you first put them in. We do not use meat in ours but use melted pork fat mixed in the rice. Instead of tomato soup a much nicer flavour sauce on your cabbage rolls is equal parts tomato juice and ketchup. Nice tomato tang results and your cabbage rolls are not soggy nor soup absorbed.

    Reply
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  57. jim stone
    November 3, 2019 at 11:55 AM (4 years ago)

    Grew up in Edmonton in the 60’s and spent weekends in my Ukrainian grandmothers kitchen. She would mix ground pork and ground moose for her cabbage rolls.Used your recipe with the wild meat to make cabbage rolls for my 85 year old father..brought tears to his eyes..
    thanks for the other traditional recipes…brings back so many good memories

    Reply
  58. Patsy
    April 9, 2020 at 10:30 AM (4 years ago)

    Whoever said prep time is 20 minutes has never made cabbage rolls! LOL I also prefer freezing the cored whole cabbage because it saves on the labour and a house smelling of boiled cabbage. I also will freeze them after they are cooked but nothing beats fresh cabbage rolls, After visiting the Ukraine last summer I now sauté grated carrots and sprinkle them between the layers as I’m assembling the cabbage rolls. They add so much flavour.

    Reply
  59. Barb
    April 14, 2020 at 2:53 PM (4 years ago)

    Our family has been making cabbage rolls for years and I tried your little hints and they came out amazing. Adding the bacon, onions and butter in between lawyers was just amazing. So so tasty. Swapped the tin foil with cabbage leaves and I’m just sorry I didn’t make more. The whole slow cooker was devoured by six of us in one meal. Thank you Claudia and all your special assistants.

    Reply
  60. Mark Galione
    August 17, 2020 at 6:55 PM (4 years ago)

    Having the ukrainian gene I make these like my Grandmother (Babi) did. I cook the rice with tomato juice instead of water. 2 to 1 ratio and use salt pork. Delicious always. A constant competition between my sisters and me who makes the best. Of course it is me.

    Reply
  61. Vivian
    August 21, 2020 at 8:04 PM (4 years ago)

    I took one look at the photo of your cabbage rolls and yelled to my mom…here is someone who uses Campbells Tomato Soup in their cabbage rolls!!!😄 We have never seen anyone else do that, thought we were the only ones. Your recipe is almost identical to ours, we may add a bit of diced green pepper to the rice, bacon and meat sometimes. My mom who is not Ukrainian (Norwegian/German),had to learn a few Ukrainian recipes when she married my dad who was Ukrainian! Will definitely check out more of your recipes!👋

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      March 1, 2021 at 3:23 PM (3 years ago)

      Ha! That’s awesome! 🙂 I love the additions as well. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  62. Linda Dottor
    October 27, 2020 at 10:50 AM (3 years ago)

    Thank you for the recipe. Can you please tell me why short grain rice. (it is difficult to find in Northern Ontario)

    Reply
  63. Mary Kulyk
    December 28, 2020 at 4:26 PM (3 years ago)

    Is everything alright? I just noticed that you haven’t answered peoples’ comments in over 4 years.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      March 1, 2021 at 3:15 PM (3 years ago)

      Hi Mary – thanks for your concern 🙂 all is well, just incredibly busy with life in general.

      Reply

3Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Cabbage Rolls

  1. […] This country’s best known tradition is Christmas Eve, where a feast of 12 meatless dishes is prepared and served. The 12 traditional dishes start with Kutya, a wheatberry dish which includes poppyseed and honey, and is eaten hot or cold.  This is followed by soup (often borsht), pickled herrings, pyrohy (dumplings), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), nalysnyki (cheese crepes) pan fried fish, pyrizhky (cabbage buns), mushrooms and gravy, pampushki (potato dumplings), kolach ( sweet bread) and a variety of desserts – prune filled donuts, poppyseed roll, and Ukrainian scuffles.  There are other dishes that can be included in this traditional Christmas Eve meal as well. Looking to incorporate a little Ukraine in your holiday? Try this recipe for holubtsi. […]

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