Joan Nathan's Chosen Jewish Stuffed Cabbage Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: Joan Nathan

September4,2013

4.6

10 Ratings

  • Makes 24 rolls

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Sweet and sour comfort food. A perfect one-dish meal for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or for any time! —Joan Nathan

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • Filling
  • 1 head cabbage, frozen, about 2 pounds
  • 2 poundsground beef
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • 1/2 teaspoonpepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cupketchup
  • 1/2 cuprice, uncooked
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • Sauce
  • one 35-ounce can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoonstomato paste
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cupketchup
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/3 cupbrown sugar
  • 1/3 cupraisins
  • 1 tablespoonoil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Defrost the cabbage the night before cooking. When it is completely defrosted, separate the leaves.
  2. To make the filling: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, rice, ketchup, and chopped onion; set aside.
  3. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Tuck the ends in and roll up like a big cigar. Place them, open side down, in a 6-quart casserole.
  4. To make the sauce: Cook onions with oil in a saucepan for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, onions, ketchup, the juice of one lemon, brown sugar, and raisins. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, covered.
  5. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and a half, and then uncover for an additional half hour, adding water if too dry. Taste for sweet and sour and, if needed, squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over all.
  6. Turn the stuffed cabbage rolls onto a serving platter, spoon the sauce over, and serve. This is even more delicious the second day.

Tags:

  • Eastern European
  • Raisin
  • Beef
  • Vegetable
  • Ground Beef
  • Cabbage
  • Fall
  • Sukkot
  • Entree

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Marsha Gainey

  • Doreen Cheyne

  • Kukla

  • QueenSashy

  • sexyLAMBCHOPx

Popular on Food52

27 Reviews

Jackie September 21, 2016

Instead of beef, is it okay to use ground turkey or chicken?

Jocelyn February 22, 2015

Should the stuffed cabbage rolls be cooked before freezing, or frozen uncooked? It's a Sunday night, and I want to serve this Saturday evening... Thank you!

[emailprotected] August 4, 2014

Am I missing something? Is the ground beef cooked?

lena16 October 4, 2014

Ground beef is usually not pre-cooked before being mixed with other stuffing ingredients. The rice, however, should be partially cooked before using to minimize the risk of it being undercooked in a finished dish.

Bev H. March 31, 2014

Why is the cabbage frozen?

HalfPint June 27, 2014

Softens the cabbage and makes the leaves easier to stuff and roll. Freezing skips the extra step of boiling the cabbage that some recipes employ to soften the leaves.

JudyC September 15, 2019

It’s a very bad idea, and I would never trust a Joan Nathan recipe again. Completely ruined the cabbage. Stringy, eatery and limp. I’ve been making stuffed cabbage since before Joan Nathan was born. Never, ever wound up with such a mess. This way of cooking it made it inedible. Joan Nathan doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Ketchup, indeed.

Magenta January 30, 2024

I so appreciate this message, I thought it sounded very strange to begin with a frozen cabbage. You saved me this step. I thought maybe I'd try it but I will NOT.

Marsha G. March 28, 2014

Made this and it's great! It was my first time eating AND making stuffed cabbage. Great inaugural experience!

Elaine G. November 20, 2013

My sister is the cabbage stuffer in the family and she follows Barbara Kafka's method of coring the raw cabbage and giving it six minutes in the microwave. She says the leaves peel right off.
From Elaine Greene

drbabs March 16, 2014

I tried this technique today and it worked great. Thanks for sharing it.

Doreen C. October 3, 2013

thank you for the tip on freezing the cabbage.I've been making stuffed cabbage for years, and the part I wasn't fond of was boiling the cabbage. I'm definetely going to try this and this recipe, sounds delicous

JudyC September 15, 2019

Don’t bother! Doing this ruined the entire finished product. Cabbage rolls need texture; this created a stringy mess.

Gayle E. October 3, 2013

Do you provide nutritional values to your recipes?

JGinLSL October 3, 2013

I don't understand, why freeze the cabbage only to have to thaw it overnight before using?

Kate October 3, 2013

Because when it is frozen, and then thawed, the leaves are limp, and you don't have to boil them.

QueenSashy October 3, 2013

Kate is right. This tenderizes the cabbage, and it also helps with separating the leaves...

JudyC September 15, 2019

It is a bad, bad idea.

Fred F. October 3, 2013

Ladies and Gentlemen, adding katchup or tomato puree to stuffed cabbage is gross and disgusting... see hungarian recipes...PLEASE

QueenSashy October 3, 2013

I come from the region and the recipes I’ve seen, call for a cup or so of tomato juice or tomato pulp in the sauce for the stuffed cabbage, when it is made from fresh cabbage leaves. This is the summer version of the dish. The winter version of the dish, made with sour cabbage (preserved cabbage) leaves is typically made without the tomato juice.

JudyC September 15, 2019

I agree! Never heard of such a thing. And freezing cabbage? Don’t know who this woman is; this recipe is for the birds. Actually, it’s wouldn’t eat the mess that resulted with this big waste of wonderful ingredients.

Kukla September 19, 2013

We never use any eggs in the filling for stuffed cabbage, bell peppers, grape leaves or Zucchini. The uncooked rice is keeping the filling together perfectly.
It is also very tasty, piquant and traditional in Romanian recipes to stuff sour cabbage leaves. Many European delis carry jarred whole sour cabbage leaves. A good brand is “ZerGut”. You’ll just need to soak them for a few hours in cold water, changing the water a couple of times. We also add a heaping cup of the tomato sauce to the filling, which makes it moist and very flavorful. And one more thing: the meat should be not les then 80/20 % fat. Rice love fat; it makes them plump and delicious.

QueenSashy September 18, 2013

Ha! I really like the trick with freezing the cabbage. Stuffed cabbage is one of the "national dishes" of Serbia (where I am originally from) and for about 30 years I have been using the boiling water method, and this is sooooo much easier. Thank you!

Joan N. September 4, 2013

This one is really a recipe for Sukkot -- so you've still got a couple weeks to plan :)

JGinLSL September 19, 2019

I’d like to make this for Sukkot, what else would traditionally be served with it? Thanks.

sexyLAMBCHOPx September 4, 2013

Love the recipes you share, but they're often way too late to consider since my holiday menus usually planned in advance (or the day before)!

Joan Nathan's Chosen Jewish Stuffed Cabbage Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Joan Nathan's Chosen Jewish Stuffed Cabbage Recipe on Food52? ›

To make the filling: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, rice, ketchup, and chopped onion; set aside. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Tuck the ends in and roll up like a big cigar. Place them, open side down, in a 6-quart casserole.

Why is my stuffed cabbage meat tough? ›

If your cooked cabbage is tough, it's likely because the cabbage is not cooked through yet. Continue to cook the rolls until they're tender. It's also important to make sure you let the rolls rest after they're finished baking.

What ethnicity is stuffed cabbage? ›

Stuffed cabbage rolls are a popular Polish dish. Pork and beef mixed with rice or barley are nestled in a cabbage leaf and cooked in the oven or on the stove until tender.

What is Polish stuffed cabbage made of? ›

"Polish cabbage rolls (filled with a mixture of rice, pork, and beef) stewed in tomatoes.

Who invented stuffed cabbage? ›

Historically cabbage rolls has roots in ancient middle east and spread to Eastern Europe as trade roots developed and people migrated. Some Jewish historians has found indications that stuffed cabbage rolls were part of Jewish food tradition as early as 1500 years ago.

Why do you soak cabbage before cooking? ›

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water.

What country eats the most cabbage? ›

China produces nearly half of the world's cabbage while Russia consumes the most per person. The average Russian eats about 44 pounds of cabbage a year. That compares to the 8.6 pounds eaten by Americans. Raw cabbage is rich in vitamin C.

What country invented cabbage rolls? ›

Initially, cabbage rolls were created by the Turkish, who claim to be the original cookers of the dish. But as they conquered more and more territory, the recipe was spread and adapted by tens of other countries.

Can you eat cabbage raw? ›

In addition to being super healthy, cabbage is delicious. It can be eaten raw or cooked and added to a wide variety of dishes like salads, soups, stews, and slaws. This versatile veggie can even be fermented and made into sauerkraut. In addition to being adaptable to many recipes, cabbage is extremely affordable.

Why do you put baking soda in cabbage? ›

Adding baking soda to your boiling cabbage can help reduce the objectionable smell and maintain the green color long after when it typically turns grayish from cooking for too long. However, this may rid the cabbage of its nutritional value.

What is the purple stuff in cabbage? ›

What is responsible for the color purple on red cabbage? The color purple on red cabbage is caused by the presence of anthocyanin.

How long can you eat stuffed cabbage? ›

Refrigeration: Do you want to eat the stuffed cabbage in the next week? If so, place them in the refrigerator. The stuffed cabbage will stay fresh for up to 1 week.

What is the meaning of the word gołąbki? ›

“Gołąbki” that's the Polish term for stuffed cabbage rolls. Though the word literally means “doves” it has become globally recognized as the name for one of Poland's most well known dishes too.

Who brought cabbage to America? ›

Cabbage was introduced to America in 1541-42 by Jacques Cartier, who planted it in Canada on his third voyage. Because of its popularity among Europeans, it was doubtless planted in what is now the United States by some of the earliest colonists, although there is no written record of it until 1669.

What is the national dish of Poland? ›

Bigos stew is the national dish of Poland. It can be made with any kind of meat from pork to rabbit or venison, but should always have spicy Polish sausage.

Why is my cabbage still tough after cooking? ›

You're not cooking the right kind of cabbage

If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect. The Savoy cabbage can be used as a substitute for green cabbage, just keep in mind that its leaves are a bit more tender than that of other cabbages.

How do you soften the toughest meat? ›

Pound it out. Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. One of the easiest — and cleanest — ways to do this is to sandwich the meat between a couple pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it before cooking.

How do you fix tough meat? ›

You may need some sweetness and acidity to bring up the tough meat. Simmer in liquid. Just like for burnt meat, if your meat gets tough and dry then you can simmer it in a little bit of broth for a couple minutes. Don't allow it to overcook again but just allow the liquid to penetrate the meat.

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