A Lazy Girl Recipe for Tasty Meat-Free Cabbage Rolls

Our granny made cabbage rolls for every single occasion, always perfectly rolled and neatly arranged in the same well-loved casserole dish. There are many ways to make cabbage rolls, but our Ukrainian granny always made hers with a mix of rice, sautéed onions, and bacon, topped with a creamy tomato sauce and baked to perfection. Always short on time, we took her recipe and created a lazy casserole out of the dish with all the same flavours (without the bacon—sorry, Granny!) minus the hours of rolling.

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Vegan option • Vegetarian • Gluten-free option • Nut-free option
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

 Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) rice (we use jasmine)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
• 2 cups (500 mL) finely chopped yellow onion
• 1½ pounds (675 g) sliced green or savoy cabbage (9 cups/2.1 L)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can (10 ounces/284 mL) condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup (250 mL) table (18%) cream or cashew cream

Vegan: Use Cashew Cream.
Gluten-free: Use 2 cups (500 mL) of prepared gluten-free tomato soup (we use Pacific brand) instead of condensed tomato soup.
Nut-free: Use table (18%) cream or unsweetened soy creamer instead of Cashew Cream.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Cook the rice until tender according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has softened and just starts to turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Stir in the cooked rice to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 13 × 9-inch (3.5 L) baking dish.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato soup and cream. Pour the creamy tomato soup evenly over the rice mixture.
6. Bake until the mixture bubbles and is golden brown on top, 35 to 40 minutes.

Excerpted from Fraiche Food Fuller Hearts by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Copyright © 2023 Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Photography by Rachelle Beatty. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: For another easy cabbage roll recipe, try our healthy slow-cooker quinoa cabbage rolls