Go Back
Unrolled savory stuffed cabbage cups in a red braiser, topped with fresh parsley

Unrolled Savory Stuffed Cabbage Cups (Mediterranean-Style)

Tender blanched cabbage leaves gathered into open cups, filled with a savory blend of ground beef, rice, feta, carrots, and bell peppers, baked in a bright lemon-tomato sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 285
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cabbage Cups:
  • - 1 large head Savoy or Green Cabbage
  • - 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pan
For the Savory Filling:
  • - 1 lb 450g Lean Ground Beef (or beef and turkey blend)
  • - 1 cup Cooked white or brown rice cooled
  • - 1/2 cup Finely diced carrot
  • - 1/2 cup Finely diced yellow or red bell pepper
  • - 1/2 cup Crumbled feta cheese
  • - 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • - 1 small Yellow onion finely chopped
  • - 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • - 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • - 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • - 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
  • - 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • - 1/4 tsp Black pepper
For the Lemony Tomato Sauce:
  • - 2 cups Tomato sauce or marinara
  • - 3/4 cup Beef or vegetable broth
  • - 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
  • - 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • - 1 pinch Ground cinnamon or allspice
For Garnish:
  • - 1/4 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • - Lemon wedges

Method
 

PREP CABBAGE:
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully peel 8 to 10 large outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until flexible. Transfer immediately to ice water, then pat dry. Cut a small V-notch at the stem base to trim away the hard center rib.
MIX FILLING:
  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cooked rice, diced carrots, diced bell pepper, crumbled feta, grated Parmesan, chopped onion, minced garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly with clean hands.
ASSEMBLE CUPS:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a deep baking dish or red braiser with olive oil and spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce over the bottom. Line a small bowl with one cabbage leaf, fill center with 1/3 cup filling, and gather leaf edges upward into a cup shape. Place upright into the baking dish, packing tightly next to each other.
BAKE:
  1. Whisk remaining tomato sauce, broth, lemon juice, olive oil, and pinch of cinnamon together. Spoon over and between the cabbage cups. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, baste tops with pan juices, and bake 15 minutes more until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
SERVE:
  1. Rest for 5 minutes, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm with lemon wedges.

Notes

- Freezing method: Freeze the raw whole cabbage head overnight and thaw before peeling to skip boiling.
- No pork or wine used in this recipe.
- Storage: Keeps up to 4 days in fridge or 3 months in freezer.