A cabbage roll (also stuffed cabbage) is a dish consisting of cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around a variety of fillings. It is common to the peasant cuisines of Europe and Western Asia, and has also found popularity in areas of North America settled by Eastern Europeans.
The filling is traditionally based around meat, often beef, lamb or pork and is seasoned with garlic, onion and spices. Grains such as rice and barley, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables are often included in the filling as well. Pickled cabbage leaves are often used for wrapping, particularly in Southeastern Europe. As only the largest leaves can be used, small pieces of cabbages are often mixed into the stuffing and sauce. As the dish originated as a way to use leftover food, other ingredients may also be used in the stuffing.
Cabbage leaves are stuffed with the filling which are then baked, simmered or steamed in a covered pot and generally eaten warm, often accompanied with a sauce. The sauce varies widely by cuisine. In Finland and Sweden, stuffed cabbage is often served with bittersweetlingonberryjam. In Eastern Europe, tomato-based sauces or plain sour cream are typical. In Lebanon it is a popular plate, where the cabbage is stuffed with rice and minced meat and served with a side of yogurt.
Typical Ukrainian-Canadian cabbage rolls can be made from either pickled or parboiled cabbage leaves depending on the cook's preference; pickled whole cabbage is readily available in most supermarkets on the Prairies. Fillings generally contain rice and meat, but other recipes call for cooked kasha and chopped wild mushrooms or, more recently, meat-free combinations of whole grains and root vegetables. Some modern recipes call for tofu or textured vegetable protein instead of meat. The finished rolls may be simmered in thinned tomato juice, beef stock, vegetable stock, or even miso broth.[1]
