Greek Cabbage Rolls

These lovely, comforting Greek cabbage rolls (Lahanodolmades) are new to me. Traditionally, I have always baked them in tomato sauce, following Eastern European recipes. However, this stove-top version with fresh herbs (no tomatoes) and a creamy lemon sauce is delightful! It's also highly addictive, so you might want to plan for extra servings of this gluten-free comfort food.

Soft-crisp, sweetish cabbage and rich, salty meat go together ridiculously well! For instance, the classic St. Patty's combination of Corned Beef and Cabbage. These Greek style stuffed cabbage rolls are accompanied by a creamy lemon sauce that is quick to prepare while the cabbage cooks.

Read on for all the loving details to make this Greek Cabbage Rolls recipe.

Jump to:

• Featured Ingredients
• Tools for the job
• How to Make Greek Cabbage Rolls
• Hot Tip!
• Substitutions for Greek Cabbage Rolls
• Variation of Greek Cabbage Rolls
• Leftovers
• FAQ's
• Food safety
• Related
• Pairing
• Greek Cabbage Rolls (Lahanodolmades)
• 💬 Comments

Tools for the job

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Large pot for boiling water
• Dutch oven with lid for the cabbage rolls
• Tongs, whisk, trigger scoop
• Small pot
• Bowl
• Sheetpan with a clean towel

How to Make Greek Cabbage Rolls

Making these rolls is a 3 part process. You'll need to remove the leaves from the cabbage core, make the filling, then fill the rolls and cook.

Removing the cabbage leaves

• Set a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
• Remove the core of the cabbage. Insert a small sharp knife at an angle into the bottom of the cabbage, carving out the core halfway into the cabbage. The farther you cut into the core, the easier it is to pull the leaves off as they cook, and you probably won't use the center leaves, anyway.
• Once cored, set the head of cabbage, core side down, into the boiling water. After a couple of minutes, turn it over and start pulling the leaves away from the head.
• Have a tray with a towel ready to catch the wet leaves and soak up extra water drips.
• Once they're all pulled away, carefully remove the tough rib but as little of the soft cabbage leaf as possible. Set both parts aside as you go through all the leaves.

Making the cabbage rolls

• Make the beef filling by adding all the ingredients except the beef to a bowl.
• Stir to incorporate, then crumble all of the beef on top.
• Carefully toss the beef and other ingredients together and gently combine throughout the beef. Do not overwork the mixture, or it will have a firm, dry texture.
• See the steps below for folding each roll. I used a 2 ounce trigger-style scooper to portion out the rolls. You could also use a ¼ cup measuring cup to do this as well.

Cooking the cabbage rolls

• Put the reserved ribs from the leaves in the bottom of your Dutch oven or pot. Top with the sliced red onions and any leftover herbs.
• Next, fill the pot with the cabbage rolls, seam side down. Stacking them on top of each other is okay as long as each layer is snug. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to the top and extra fresh herbs if you please.
• Pour chicken stock into the pot coming up about halfway to the rolls.
• TIP: If you use a larger pot, you can top the rolls with an inverted plate to keep them weighted down during cooking. The rolls were up to the lid in the 2-quart pot I used, so there was no need for additional weight.
• Add the lid and bring the pot to a full boil. Once it has boiled, turn it down to an audible simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Do not let it come back to a boil, or the beef will become too firm.

To make the lemon cream sauce

• Put 2 cups of heavy whipping cream in a small pot and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Watch it carefully at first because it will bubble up quite a bit and can boil over easily. Once some moisture evaporates, it will sit at an easy simmer.
• Add the lemon zest and juice along with a ½ teaspoon of salt.
• Measure out one cup of broth when the cabbage rolls are cooked and removed from the pot. Use the broth to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency.
• Serve the cabbage rolls topped with the sauce, fresh herbs, and lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Substitutions for Greek Cabbage Rolls

• Beef - These cabbage rolls would taste great with ground lamb instead of beef.
• Cabbage - You can use smooth green or white cabbage instead of savoy cabbage.

Variation of Greek Cabbage Rolls

I like to use this easy lemon cream sauce for a no-worries meal, but if you would like to make traditional Greek cabbage rolls with Avgolemono, you can make the lemon sauce using raw eggs, lemon juice, and hot broth instead of heavy whipping cream. It can be a little scary for some as you need to temper the eggs so they do not scramble. But it always works if you are patient. To do so:

• After removing the cabbage rolls from the pot, pour the broth into a bowl or pitcher through a fine mesh strainer.
• Scramble 2 eggs with a whisk in another bowl.
• Ladel ½ cup scoops of the hot broth into the eggs, whisking constantly.
• Continue to add broth, ½ cup at a time, until you have a pourable and slightly thickened sauce; use 1-2 cups of broth. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt.

Leftovers

• To make this dish ahead of time, you can store the unboiled rolls in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
• I have not tried freezing them yet, but it would probably be fine once they're cooked and cooled, though the cabbage may look odd once thawed. Do not freeze the sauce.
• Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
• To reheat cooked cabbage rolls: Warm in a skillet on low with a few tablespoons of water and the lid on or on a sheet pan in 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
• Reheat sauce in a saucepan on low until warmed through.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are some great sides to serve with Greek Cabbage Rolls:

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