Stuffed Cabbage Stew

Stuffed cabbage rolls are something that I wasn't introduced to until I moved to Ohio. They are made by wrapping cabbage around a filling of meat, rice, onion, and seasonings, then slow cooking the delicious little guys in a tomato sauce.

My soon-to-be mother-in-law makes the most delicious stuffed cabbage rolls! I have had a hankering for them lately, so when I saw fresh cabbage galore at the farmer's market yesterday morning I knew what was for dinner! The problem was… stuffed cabbage rolls are time consuming to assemble and slow cook, and I wanted to go hiking instead of being in the kitchen that afternoon. So, I decided to make a stew version instead. You could also make this a vegetarian dish by using veggie stock instead of beef broth and skip the meat and add carrots or even potatoes.

Stuffed Cabbage Stew

• 1 head of cabbage
• 2lbs of ground beef
• 1 quart (4 cups) beef broth
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 large can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 ribs of celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more!)

Yields about 4-6 servings depending on serving size.

Heat a stock pot and add ground beef. Brown meat, strain, and set aside to add back to the pot in just a bit.

Chop veggies and mince the garlic. Re-heat stock pot and add olive oil, onion, celery, and bay leaves. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and continue to cook until onions become translucent.

You can use pre-ground coriander and black pepper, but I love using my mortar and pestle any chance I get! So I ground mine up while waiting on the onions to cook.

Add browned ground beef and all other remaining ingredients. Stir well and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to med/low and let simmer for 30-45 minutes until cabbage is tender.

Serve with rice to complete the stuffed cabbage roll's main ingredient list!