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side view shot of cabbage rolls in a crockpot
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4.49 from 29 votes

Crockpot Cabbage Rolls

Crockpot Cabbage Rolls - try my traditional cabbage rolls with ground pork, rolled in sour cabbage leaves and slowly cooked in a crockpot. So simple and a definitely a favorite!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Romanian
Keyword: cabbage rolls, crockpot, crockpot recipes, romanian food
Servings: 28
Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pound sour cabbage leaves *
  • 2 pound ground pork
  • ½ cup rice long grain, uncooked
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • ¼ cup dill fresh, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 ounce smoked meat such as smoked bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)
  • 4 cups tomato juice

Instructions

  • Add the sour cabbage leaves to a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Let the leaves soak in the water for few minutes. This will wash out some of the saltiness from the leaves. Drain the water. If some of the leaves are too big, cut them in half, if making smaller cabbage rolls.
  • In a large bowl mix together the ground pork, rice, chopped onion, dill, parsley, salt and pepper. Use your hands to incorporate everything well together. Be careful with the salt, not too much is needed because the sour cabbage is already salty.
  • Fill each leaf with about a couple tbsp of the meat mixture and roll. Repeat with all the remaining meat and cabbage.
  • If you have any cabbage left over, chop it up and spread it over the bottom of the crockpot. Arrange all the cabbage rolls in the crockpot. If adding smoked meat, add it now over the cabbage rolls. Pour all the tomato juice over the cabbage rolls. Cover the crockpot.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Video

Notes

  1. * I usually find sour cabbage leaves at my local grocery store like Sobey's or Safeway, but you can also find them at European markets. 
  2. You can use fresh cabbage instead of sour cabbage, but more work is required. You first have to blanch the cabbage. To do so, core the cabbage first, one large cabbage should be enough for this recipe. In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the cabbage and blanch it for 5 to 8 minutes or until leaves are softened. Remove from the pot and chill under cold water.
  3. Another alternative to softening the cabbage leaves is to wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for a couple days. Remove the cabbage from the freezer and thaw it out at room temperature. Once the cabbage has thawed out, the leaves should be softened.
  4. You can find a recipe for my creamy polenta here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cabbage roll | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.9g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 335mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 2.5g