Golubtsi -Cabbage Rolls

We grew up enjoying golubtsi, the russian version of cabbage rolls. I didn’t develop a taste for cabbage until my adult years so I’d peel off the cabbage and just enjoy the filling. Today I really enjoy cabbage in all it’s cooked or uncooked forms! Once you get the cabbage leaves ready to go this is really a simple recipe to make.

1 head of cabbage
2 lbs. of hamburger
1-1/2 Cups cooked rice cooled
1/2 onion grated
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 can condensed tomato soup
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 onion chopped
1-1/2 Cups sour cream
2 Cups water

Core the cabbage leaving it whole. Boil in a pot of water until leaves separate easily. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling. Once the leaves are cool enough to handle you can trim some of the thick vein of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to fold.

Combine the hamburger, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley. Place about 1/3 cup of this mixture onto a cabbage leaf and fold edges over and roll up. Place in baking dish. Continue until you use up the hamburger mixture and cabbage leaves.

Saute the chopped onion in a little oil until it is translucent. Add soup, tomato sauce, ketchup, and water. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Add a little of this sauce to the sour cream to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or longer.

Our son doesn’t tolerate milk products so I made a small batch of the Golubtsi and covered them with the sauce before I added the sour cream to the rest of the sauce. We find that using hamburger that is 15% fat or more is better for these as the meat that has less fat in it can be dry.

Serve with your favorite green side dish and some good bread to soak up the sauce with!