• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Eating European

European & Mediterranean Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
  • About
    • About Eating European
    • About Edyta
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Nutritional Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Skinny Golabki

May 22, 2017 by Edyta 14 Comments

301 shares
  • Share14
  • Tweet

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Follow me
Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
Follow me
Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
  • Borscht (Barszcz Czerwony) – Authentic Polish Recipe - December 19, 2022
  • Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie) - December 8, 2022
  • Mushroom Pierogi “Uszka” for Borscht - December 3, 2022

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki) are one of the most popular Polish dishes. The skinny version uses ground turkey instead of pork or beef.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls On white plate with tomato sauce and fork

Skinny Version of Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Golabki

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in this recipe are the skinny version of cabbage rolls usually stuffed with some greasy pork or heavy beef (albeit…savory). I made mine with super lean turkey meat.

Stuffed cabbage rolls seem to be a staple in almost every cuisine, from Europe to Asia and further stretches East & West, and North & South. Each country has its unique name for it and most all have some small regional differences. You may want to check what Wikipidia says about stuffed cabbage….it’s pretty interesting.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (aka, Golabki) are as popular in Poland as Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese,  Cabbage and Kielbasa or Mizeria; and that’s saying a lot.

How to make Golabki

Making this Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls may seem complicated, but it’s actually pretty simple.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Golabki on a plate with sauce on a side

Cooking the cabbage

  • You’ll have to boil the water in a pretty deep pot and place the whole head of cabbage into it.
  • It may need to be turned upside down during the boiling process, depending on how much of the cabbage is actually covered with water.
  • The boiling time varies depending on a size of the cabbage.
  • It may take roughly 20 minutes, or until the leaves are pretty soft.
  • Once thoroughly boiled, the tricky part will be to taking the hot cabbage out of the water. I guess the easiest way would be to just pour it all into a clean sink, but I usually use the huge forks to take it out of the water and then place it onto a cutting board.

Preparing the leaves

  • Once cooled, I cut out the core of the head of cabbage.
  • The leaves will then peel off easily.
  • Keep in mind, the outer leaves may not be the best for folding, but don’t throw them out. Rather, line the bottom of the pot that you will be putting your cabbage rolls into.
  • It will actually protect the cabbage that is stuffed with filing, from burning.
  • If some hard part of the core is still present on your leaf, be sure to cut that off as well.

Preparing the filling

  • Combine boiled rice, raw turkey meat, and sautéed onions.
  • The important part about the preparation of the filling is that you actually need to season the rice very well before adding the meat. Once you add the raw meat, you won’t be able to try it.
  • And I would say, you should over-season your rice because the meat will balance it out.

Folding the rolls 

  • Depending on a size of the leave, place 2-4 tablespoons of filling onto a leaf and start folding.
  • First fold the side parts of the leaf inward, and then do the same from the bottom to the top (it’s the same technique you use with wraps).
  • Once folded, place cabbage in the bottom of your pot layered with leaves and continue until all are done and stacked up.

Once all the cabbage is packed into your pot, you may cover all of them with another layer of leaves, add water or stock, cover, and then place into the oven and cook for about 1 & 1/2 hrs. Serve these Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Easy Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce and enjoy this super lean, healthy and delicious meal. Bon appetite!

Skinny Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - process shot: rice and rice with turkey Skinny Stuffed Cabbage-process shot: mixed rice and turkey and cabbageSkinny Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - process shot: folding the cabbage rollsSkinny Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - process shot: cooking the cabbage

If you want to alter this recipe you may:

  • Use ground pork, beef or lamb instead of turkey;
  • Make a vegetarian version with sautéed mushrooms instead of meat;
  • Use brown rice instead of white;
  • Serve it with a creamy wild mushroom sauce instead of tomato sauce;
  • Use the filling in stuffed peppers instead of cabbage.

Golabki on a white plate with fork and red tomato sauce

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls is one of the most popular Polish dishes. This skinny version uses ground turkey instead of pork or beef.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls is one of the most popular Polish dishes. This skinny version uses ground turkey instead of pork or beef. 
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Polish
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 310kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 1 cabbage
  • 1.5 cups rice
  • 1 pound turkey ground
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups stock chicken or vegetables
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Parsley Italian
  • Tomato Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F degrees;
  • In a large pot boil water and place the whole head of cabbage into it;
  • Boil the cabbage for about 20 minutes; if the entire cabbage Italian with water, rotate it during boiling;
  • In a frying pan sautéed onions with one tablespoon of oil until translucent, about 3-5 minutes;
  • In a separate pot, boil rice according to instructions; cold down when cooked;
  • In a big bowl add rice and season generously with salt and pepper (or vegetable powder stock), add meat, saute onions and mix together;
  • Once cabbage leaves are pretty soft, remove cabbage from boiling water and let it cool down;
  • Using a paring knife remove the core from the cabbage;
  • Save the outer leaves and place them at the bottom of the Dutch Oven or the oven safe dish/pot;
  • Take off one leaf at the time and place 2-4 tablespoons of filling in the middle depending on the size of the leaf;
  • Fold side parts of the leaf inwards and then bottom to the top (use the same technique as you would do for wraps);
  • Continue with the remaining leaves until all filing is used;
  • Stack up the cabbage rolls in an oven-proof dish;
  • Add water or stock, cover and cook for 1.5 hrs in 350F degree oven;
  • Serve hot with tomato sauce and sprinkle with Italian parsley.

Notes

You will need a large pot to boil the whole head of cabbage in it.
You can use any rice you like. I like basmati in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 56.8mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

This post was originally posted on November 8, 2014, and since then it was updated to provide additional information.

 

If you like this recipe you may also like these Polish dishes:

Traditional Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Traditional Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Polish Fluffy Apple Pancakes – Racuchy

Polish Fluffy Apple Pancakes - Racuchy - these little golden breakfast treats are super delicious, easy to make and every kid will love them.

Sauerkraut and Mushrooms Pierogi from Scratch

Sauerkraut and Mushrooms Pierogi from Scratch

Rainbow Carrots Apple Slaw – Polish side dish

Rainbow Carrots Apple Slaw - delicious, healthy and crunchy fall slaw with the best seasonal apple and rainbow carrots that can be served with any main course.

Open Face Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich – Zapiekanka

Open Face Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich - famous Polish street food called Zapiekanka or Zapiekanki in plural. You can find them on every corner in Poland.

 

 

Read about the author Edyta here or follow Eating European on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

[mc4wp_form id=”6774″]

Related posts:

Lebanese Mujadara Recipe - Lentils, Rice & Fried Onions
Ham and Cheese Soup with White Wine & Gruyere
Chicken Normandy (Braised Chicken Legs in Apple Cider & Brandy)
Roasted Fennel with Tomatoes (Italian Style)

Filed Under: Dinner, Ethnic Recipes, European Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthy, Lunch, Meat and chicken, Mediterranean, Polish recipes

Previous Post: « Cacio e Pepe Zucchini Noodles – healthy cheesy “pasta”
Next Post: Chipotle Hummus with Roasted Pine Nuts »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane

    January 18, 2016 at 9:10 am

    Should the rice be cook before?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Edyta

      January 18, 2016 at 10:08 pm

      Hi Jane. Yes the rice should be cooked.

      Reply
  2. Sherly

    May 19, 2016 at 9:10 am

    5 stars
    I never heard about this recipe on any of the blogs. Thanks for sharing . thinks my hubby will love it..:)

    Reply
    • Edyta

      May 24, 2016 at 6:21 am

      Great, thanks for stopping by. Let me know how they came out 🙂

      Reply
  3. Heather

    August 4, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Can we use quinoa instead of rice?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      August 7, 2016 at 8:20 pm

      Absolutely. Let me know how they came out Heather.

      Reply
  4. Casey

    February 9, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    Does the meat go in the mixture uncooked??

    Reply
    • Edyta

      March 8, 2017 at 11:07 am

      Yes! That’s the secret for amazing stuffed cabbage 🙂

      Reply
  5. Anna Eberhardt

    February 5, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Can you freeze these?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      February 19, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      I’m not sure the cabbage would hold great in a freezer. I personally never froze them, but give it a try.

      Reply
      • darren ruscheinsky

        July 10, 2020 at 2:43 pm

        Yes u can freeze these nooo problem. I make a whole bunch of them and freeze them for days I don’t want to cook. Serve with mashed potatoes,and booooom a great meal.

        Reply
        • Edyta

          July 14, 2020 at 10:26 am

          Wonderful. Thanks for the tip for other readers.

          Reply
  6. Diane

    April 13, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    I don’t see where you used the butter?

    Reply
    • Bern. Ochtabienski

      March 14, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      I think it’s used to sauté the chopped onion.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
Read More…

Don’t Miss These

authentic polish pierogi with potatoes and cheese

Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie)

Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic and Herbs are as delicious as they sound. The sweet brown sugar sauce is perfectly balanced by garlic and dried herbs like thyme and oregano. Juicy pork chops dish that comes together in no time.

Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic & Herbs + VIDEO

Slow cooker turkey breast - amazing alternative to roasting the whole bird. It is simple., delicious and takes only 5 minutes of prep time - Innocent Delight

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast – Easy Crockpot Recipe

Footer

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
I’m also a reformed New York State attorney, who practiced for several years only to thereafter decide that this was my real passion. Maybe one day I decided to step back to the courtroom, but in the meantime I’m enjoying spending my time with my kids, my husband, my kitchen and YOU! Read More…

My Favorites

authentic polish pierogi with potatoes and cheese
Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic and Herbs are as delicious as they sound. The sweet brown sugar sauce is perfectly balanced by garlic and dried herbs like thyme and oregano. Juicy pork chops dish that comes together in no time.
Slow cooker turkey breast - amazing alternative to roasting the whole bird. It is simple., delicious and takes only 5 minutes of prep time - Innocent Delight

Read our Privacy Policy here.

 

 

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework

301 shares