These Cabbage Rolls – Holubtsi has roots in the Ukrainian dishes of my family using traditional inexpensive ingredients.
Cabbage Rolls – Holubtsi
Cabbage Rolls – Holubtsi is a traditional Ukrainian dish of cabbage leaves filled with a rice bacon onion filling then baked until tender.
Recently I have been baking them 2 ways, one the traditional way, with tomato soup but took the idea from the Nalysnyky I love so much and started cooking them with dill and cream.
They are very nice and a great change from the usual way I make them. They have a creamy texture and the dill flavour really comes through and the cream cuts the sourness of the cabbage.
Cabbage Rolls - Holubtsi
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage
- 2-3 cups of vinegar
- 3 cups of Minute rice or any long grain white rice you prefer
- 1 lb. of bacon (chopped)
- 1 large white onion (chopped)
- ¼ cup of butter or margarine
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the core from the cabbage using a sharp knife.
- Place the cabbage cored side down in a large pot, add the 2 cups of vinegar and enough water to cover the cabbage.
- Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once the cabbage leaves start to separate from the head, carefully using tongs, remove the leaves. Once all the leave are separated from the head allow to cool.
- In a pot make the rice according to package directions.
- Once rice is done move it to a large mixing bowl and add the butter and pepper.
- Meanwhile in a skillet fry the bacon and onion until cooked through but not crunchy.
- Once the bacon and onions are cooked pour over the rice, drippings included. Stir well to combine thoroughly.
- Take a cabbage leaf and split it down the center removing the tough rib part.
- If the leaves are large, slice the half of the cabbage leaf in half again.
- Place a large teaspoon of the filling at one end of the leaf and roll up tucking in the sides.
- Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
- Layer the cabbage rolls in a greased casserole dish.
- You can dot with butter, cover with foil and bake in a 325*F over for 1 ½ hours.
- The way we make them is using 1 can of tomato soup mixed with a half can of water and poured over the casserole.
- Bake for the same amount of time but place foil under the dish as it will cook over!
- And most recently I have been baking them with 1½ cups of whipping cream, with a tsp of fresh chopped dill and 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Combine and pour over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover with foil. Bake for 1½ hours.
Freezing Cabbage Rolls
If you are freezing your cabbage rolls you can do it a few different ways :
- Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with Pam. Place a the cabbage rolls onto the cookie sheet and pop in the freezer. Once the holubtsi is frozen they can be stored in freezer bags.
- Layer the cabbage rolls into a freezer safe container, preferably one that can go straight into the oven. Cover the container well with plastic wrap then secure it down with foil.
