Few things are as comforting as a good stuffed cabbage. This traditional Eastern European version has a sauce that is a bit sweet. If you’re avoiding sugar, feel free to omit the coconut sugar.
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Makes: 4 servings
1 large head cabbage, preferably savoy
1 cup (150 g) finely minced onion (about 1 medium)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste
2 (14-ounce [397-g]) cans crushed tomatoes
½ cup (55 g) packed grated carrots (about 1 medium)
2 tablespoons (12 g) almond flour
2 eggs
1 pound (450 g) ground beef
2 tablespoons (19 g) coconut sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (18 g) currants
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cut the core out of the bottom of the cabbage and remove as many large leaves as you can, being careful to keep them whole.
Once the water is boiling, blanch the cabbage in two batches for 3 minutes each. Remove to a bowl and allow them to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut out the vein of each leaf.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a large sauce pan in the oil over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon salt, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the grated carrot, almond flour, eggs, ½ teaspoon salt and beef. Once the sauce has simmered for 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the sauce to the beef mixture and mix well with your hands to combine.
Add the coconut sugar, vinegar and currants to the sauce.
Ladle about ½ cup (120 ml) of the sauce into a small casserole dish.
Place about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the beef mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf and fold over the sides and roll up. Repeat with the remaining leaves and beef and place in the casserole dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed cabbage leaves.
Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Allow the cabbage to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Bubbe’s tip: Don’t waste those inner leaves! Use them for slaw. (Like the Dilly Slaw!) And if you can’t have nuts, use your favorite starch as a binder in the meat mixture instead of the almond flour.