Easy Golumpki Recipe
These easy Turkey Cabbage Rolls, aka Golumpki, are hearty and delicious
Equipment
- 1 Pot (large)
- 3-5 Foil Metal Trays
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1-2 Large Cabbage Heads
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 2 quarts whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tbsp butter or margarine
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 large onion split in 2
Instructions
Cabbage Leaf Instructions
- Start by removing the outer layer(s) of the cabbage heads. Remove any loose outer leaves and the topmost layer of the main head.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut out the core of the cabbage head.
- Gently pull apart the cabbage leaves, going slowly and careful enough to not tear the leaves. Only use leaves that are large enough to make a roll, they should be able to wrap as much meat as you could fit in the palm of your hand.
- Rinse the leaves, and start a pot of water boiling. The pot should be big enough to blanch the leaves in batches.
- Once boiling, boil as many leaves as will fit in the pot for 3-4 minutes, then pull them out and let them drip in a colander.
- Keep the leaves covered while working on the rest of the meal.
Sauce Instructions
- Start by chopping and frying half an onion (if large) in oil.
- When the onion starts to turn translucent, add 1 tbsp of garlic and fry a couple minutes longer.
- Drain off any excess water from the tomatoes and add them to the pan.
- Add the butter, stir well, and simmer until the sauce thickens, 10-20 minutes.
- If you want to add optional enhancements, you can add salt, pepper, and paprika at this point, but it's not required.
Stuffing and Overall Preparation Instructions
- Finely mince the remaining onion and add it to a large bowl
- Add one cup of cooked rice, all of the ground turkey, a half cup of sauce, salt, 1 tbsp of garlic, and pepper. Mix the ingredients well so they are evenly distributed.
- Set out a foil tray to hold the cabbage rolls. Line the bottom of each tray with a little sauce.
- Begin filling cabbage leaves. With one leaf open in a hand, fill the roll with the meat mixture from the other hand. Each cabbage leaf is a little unique, and will require ¼ to ⅓ cup of meat mixture depending on its size.
- Fold the cabbage roll and set it fold-side down into the foil tray. Continue to fill the tray with cabbage rolls.
- When all of the cabbage rolls are formed, distribute the remaining sauce on top of the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the trays of roll and bake them at 350F for 60-90 minutes. The center of the rolls should be at least 165F.
Notes
Calories are estimated for 1 cabbage roll. Roll size may vary.