|

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

ByJanelle Carss

Make a batch of Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls and enjoy all the hearty comfort of cabbage rolls without all the time and effort! A plant-based and deliciously cozy one pot meal that will serve a hungry crowd.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Watch how to make this Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls on my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Ingredients & Inspiration

Cabbage rolls are among the most popular dishes in Slavic countries like Ukraine, Poland and Russia, and for a damn good reason! They’re filling, tasty, and very forgiving when it comes to using the ingredients you have one hand. If you never had cabbage rolls, they’re whole cabbage leaves stuffed with a filling of rice, veggies and meat are then cooked in a delightfully seasoned tomato sauce. We’re going to not only be making them 100% vegan, but no stuffing required!

When it comes to making Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, we’re essentially taking all of the ingredients and cooking them together in one pot: no separate cooking, no plucking cabbage leaves, no stuffing, no rolling. Just throwing everything into a pot and walking away.

Like I mentioned, the ingredients to make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are very inexpensive as most of them are popular veggies and pantry staples:

  • onion
  • garlic cloves
  • textured vegetable protein or Beyond Meat
  • low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • garlic powder
  • uncooked white rice
  • cabbage
  • tomato sauce
  • canned diced tomatoes
  • veggie broth or water
  • dried oregano
  • smoked paprika
  • dried thyme
  • red wine vinegar
  • maple syrup
  • salt & pepper
  • bay leaves
  • Fresh dill and vegan sour cream for garnish

How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls comes together in one pot in under an hour with not too much prep (’cause we love a quick and easy meal around here).

Instructions

  1. Rehydrate the TVP in a bowl by pouring enough boiling water over to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes, then strain out the water and return the TVP to the bowl.
  2. Preheat large and very deep non-stick skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add the oil to warm up. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile, season the TVP by stirring in the soy sauce, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and garlic powder.
  4. To the pot add the seasoned TVP, rice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 5 to 7 more minutes, stirring often.
  5. Add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, maple syrup, cabbage, bay leaves and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 30 to 40 minutes.
  6. Check to see if the rice is cooked and if not, add about ¼ cup water, cover and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
  7. Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream or plain yogurt and some fresh dill.

No Assembly Required

Who doesn’t love a good recipe hack? Because that’s exactly what these Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are. Just as delicious as the original but without so much prep time and hassle. One pot deliciousness at it’s pinnacle!

Loved this recipe? You might also like some of my other one pot meals like Vegan Butter Chicken, Lasagna Soup, or White Bean Pumpkin Chili! Don’t forget to leave a kind review and 5-star rating below ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, I so appreciate you helping me get my blog seen by others!

Lastly, if you made this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube — I have HUNDREDS of videos to give you limitless plant-based inspiration!

Janelle Carss

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Make a batch of Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls and enjoy all the hearty comfort of cabbage rolls without all the time and effort! A plant-based and deliciously cozy one pot meal that will serve a hungry crowd.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Polish, Ukrainian
Calories: 234
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 cup TVP, rehydrated*
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, divided
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup white rice, uncooked
  • 3 lbs. cabbage (green, napa, savoy), coarsely chopped
  • 1¾ cup (14 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups veggie broth or water
  • 1 tbsp oregano, dried
  • 1½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (sub agave or other sweetener)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 bay leaves
  • fresh dill or parsley, for serving
  • vegan sour cream or plain yogurt, for serving

Method
 

  1. Rehydrate the TVP in a bowl by pouring enough boiling water over to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes, then strain out the water and return the TVP to the bowl.
  2. Preheat large and very deep non-stick skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add the oil to warm up. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile, season the TVP by stirring in the soy sauce, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and garlic powder.
  4. To the pot add the seasoned TVP, rice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 5 to 7 more minutes, stirring often.
  5. Add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, maple syrup, cabbage, bay leaves and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 30 to 40 minutes.
  6. Check to see if the rice is cooked and if not, add about ¼ cup water, cover and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
  7. Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream or plain yogurt and some fresh dill.

Video

Notes

Macros per serving (serves 8):
  • Calories: 234
  • Protein: 12g
  • Carbs: 43g
  • Fats: 3g
 
TIPS:
  • Want to boost the protein amount? Double the amount of TVP and it’s seasonings.

There's more where that came from