Seasonal Sides VIII: Cabbage

I’ll be wrapping up this series with what is probably one of the most neglected veggies in the produce aisle: Cabbage. And I’m really hoping I can entice you to give it try. Trust me, there is no harm done and so many great preparation methods to discover!

Perhaps you go for color with gorgeous red cabbage and saute it along with some apples. Or maybe you are intrigued by texture and opt for the savoy or napa and chop them into your slaw or kale salad. Neither direction disappoints. Cabbage, like carrots, hold their own reserved spot in my fridge and are worked into many a meal. Today I want to share one of my favorite ways to do that.

I didn’t see a cabbage roll until I lived in Germany and, even as a vegetarian, it took an experience at small farm to table restaurant to catch my interest. The chef had prepared delightful packages of savoy cabbage filled with wild rice, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. It was superb. Since that time, I have made several variations myself. I promise, this is super simple to do once you have a good basic recipe and learn to prep the cabbage.

Here’s a recipe to get you started.

For the Rolls
1 cup wild rice mix (consider other grains such as quinoa or millet or a grain free option of chopped root veggies)
1 teaspoon avocado oil OR olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, finely chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 large head savoy cabbage, leaves carefully removed

For the Sauce
15 oz tomato sauce
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup water