Cabbage Rolls with Young Cabbage and Buckwheat Groats - photo 1
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Cabbage Rolls with Young Cabbage and Buckwheat Groats

Pikantne Regional Cuisine of Poland Main Dishes 80 min Medium 24 wyświetleń ~29.26 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Traditional Polish stuffed cabbage rolls made from tender leaves of young cabbage and a filling of buckwheat and ground meat. The dish combines the rustic aroma of buckwheat with juicy meat and a slightly tangy tomato sauce with cream — a version inspired by the regional cuisine of Poland. The cabbage rolls are hearty, have an interesting texture thanks to the buckwheat (grainy structure), and the young cabbage adds freshness and delicacy; it’s the perfect dish for a spring family dinner when the cabbage is still soft. Serve with a dollop of cream or fresh herbs, as a main dish with mashed or roasted potatoes.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (15)

Servings:
4
  • Cabbage 1200 g
  • Buckwheat groats 200 g
  • Ground pork 400 g
  • Onion 1 szt. (~150 g)
  • Garlic 2 ząbki (~10 g)
  • Chicken egg 1 szt. (~60 g)
  • Rapeseed oil 15 g
  • Tomato 3.3 szt. (~400 g)
  • Chicken broth 500 ml
  • Sour cream 150 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Marjoram 2 g
  • Salt 0.2 szczypt (~5 g)
  • Black pepper 4 szczypty (~2 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Smoked bacon 100 g
  • Mushrooms 100 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~29.26 PLN (7.32 PLN/porcję)
* Brak cen dla niektórych składników

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparing the cabbage

1

Prepare the head of cabbage: cut off the outer, dirty leaves. Cut the core (hard stem) diagonally with a knife, but do not twist it out completely — this will make it easier to separate the leaves. Place the whole head into a large pot of boiling, salted water (about 2 teaspoons of salt per 2 liters). Boil for 5-7 minutes over high heat until the leaves become flexible; if the leaves are still very tough, boil for another 2-3 minutes.

Ingredients: cabbage, Salt
Use a large pot with a diameter of at least 24 cm and kitchen tongs to remove the leaves. Check the flexibility of the leaf: when it can be easily bent without breaking at the main vein, it is ready.
2

Remove the leaves one by one and place them on a strainer or cooling board. When the leaves have cooled enough to touch, trim the thickening in the center of each leaf: using a sharp knife, cut a wedge where the thick vein is (about 2-4 mm deep) so that the leaf rolls more easily. You can gently pound the thicker parts with a meat mallet if they are still stiff.

Ingredients: cabbage
Use a cutting board and a sharp knife. Don't throw away the core of the cabbage — you can chop it and add it to the sauce or soup.

Filling - buckwheat

3

Prepare the buckwheat: pour the buckwheat into a sieve and rinse under cold running water, mixing with your hands until the water runs clear. Transfer to a pot, add water in a ratio of 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts water (400 ml of water for 200 g of buckwheat). Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for 12-15 minutes, until the buckwheat absorbs the water. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Ingredients: Buckwheat groats, Salt
Use a pot with a lid. Check the groats after 12 minutes: the grains should be soft but not mushy. If it has absorbed all the water and is still hard, add 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water and cook for another 2 minutes.

Filling - sautéing

4

Heat a skillet over medium heat, pour in the rapeseed oil. If you are using bacon (optional), add it to the skillet and fry for 3-4 minutes until the fat renders and the bacon is browned. Add the finely chopped onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until it becomes translucent and soft, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, Smoked bacon, Onion, Garlic
Use a pan with a diameter of 24-28 cm. For the best texture, do not fry the onion on very high heat — it should become translucent, not burnt. If you are adding mushrooms, sauté them together with the onion for 5-6 minutes first.

Filling - combining ingredients

5

In a large bowl, mix the warm groats with the ground meat, sautéed onion (and bacon/mushrooms if you used them), add the egg, marjoram, 1 teaspoon of salt (5 g), and pepper to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon or by hand until the ingredients are combined — the filling should be compact but not dry. Taste the raw filling (a small amount on a spoon) and season if necessary; remember that the flavors will mellow after cooking.

Ingredients: Buckwheat groats, Ground pork, Onion, Garlic, Marjoram, Salt, Black pepper, Smoked bacon
Use a large bowl. If the filling is too wet (loses its shape), add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs or more cooked groats; if too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of broth.

Shaping and rolling

6

Forming the cabbage rolls: on a board, place a cabbage leaf with the stem facing you. On the lower part of the leaf (closer to the stem), place a portion of the filling (about 2-3 tablespoons, ball size about 60-70 g). Fold the side parts of the leaf inward, then start rolling from the bottom to the top, pressing firmly so the filling doesn't fall out. A compact, elongated roll should form. Repeat for all the leaves. Use smaller or damaged leaves to line the bottom of the pot or chop them and add to the sauce.

Ingredients: cabbage, Buckwheat groats, Ground pork
Use a fork or spoon to scoop the filling, do not touch it with your hands for too long (the warmth of your hands softens the filling). Wrap tightly, but not so tightly that the leaf breaks.

Arranging in the pot

7

Pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil into the bottom of a large, wide pot and lay down a few large (chopped) cabbage leaves as a 'mat' to prevent sticking. Arrange the stuffed cabbage tightly, seam side down, layer by layer. When the pot is almost full, place the last layer of stuffed cabbage and cover with a lid.

Ingredients: cabbage, Rapeseed oil
The best is a tall pot with a heavy lid with a capacity of 3-4 liters. Arrange the cabbage rolls tightly — during stewing, they will reduce in volume and hold their shape.

Sauce

8

Prepare the sauce in a separate pot: heat the canned tomatoes (400 g) with 200 ml of broth and 1 teaspoon of marjoram. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be slightly acidic but not overpowering — if it's too sour, add 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1 tablespoon of cream.

Ingredients: Marjoram, Salt, Black pepper, sour cream
If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the sauce slightly until smooth. Be careful that the sauce is not too thick — it should coat the cabbage rolls well during simmering.

Stewing

9

Pour the stuffed cabbage with a layer of sauce so that it reaches about 3/4 of the height of the cabbage rolls. If necessary, add broth to reach this level. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 40-45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, check if you need to add a little broth — the sauce should not boil vigorously, but gently simmer.

Ingredients: sour cream
Use a low flame and check a few times during the first 10 minutes to ensure the temperature is even. Too strong a boil can break the stuffed cabbage rolls.

Finishing the sauce

10

After 40-45 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully take a few cabbage rolls out onto a test plate. If the filling is cooked properly, you can enrich the sauce: in a cup, mix the cream with a spoonful of sauce from the bottom of the pot (tempering), then pour it into the pot and gently stir. Heat for 2-3 minutes without bringing it to a boil, so the cream doesn't curdle.

Ingredients: sour cream
Tempering the cream (adding a few tablespoons of hot sauce before pouring) prevents curdling. Use a strainer if the sauce is very lumpy.

Serving

11

Serve the cabbage rolls hot, drizzled with sauce. On the plate, place 2 cabbage rolls per person, pour some sauce over them, and add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream on the side or on top. Garnish with freshly chopped dill or parsley (optional). The cabbage rolls pair wonderfully with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes.

Ingredients: sour cream, cabbage
Use large deep plates to catch the sauce. If you want, warm the plates in the oven before serving (for a short 2 minutes at 60°C) — the dish will stay hot longer.

Final tips

12

If you prepare the cabbage rolls in advance: after cooling, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze individual cabbage rolls (preferably without the cream in the sauce) — thaw slowly in the refrigerator and reheat in a pot with added broth.

Ingredients: cabbage
For heating, use low heat and cover to prevent the cabbage rolls from drying out. For freezing, cool completely before sealing.

Fun Fact

💡

In many regions of Poland, stuffed cabbage rolls were created as a way to use up cabbage and leftover grains or meat — a simple, economical dish that over time became a holiday classic.

Best for

rodzinny obiad świąteczny stół przyjęcie w chłodniejszy dzień

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve with mashed potatoes or Silesian dumplings and a dollop of sour cream. For a lighter version, replace the meat with more groats and add mushrooms. Fresh herbs (dill, parsley) will add freshness.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For the freezer, it's best without cream in the sauce — thaw slowly in the refrigerator and heat gently over low heat with a bit of broth.

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