Polish Cabbage Rolls

Polish Cabbage Rolls, or Galumpkis, have been a long-time family favorite. I even shared the recipe with Food & Nutrition Magazine back when I was a dietetic intern. I remember from a young age whenever we would visit my Grandma's house for the holidays, she would have an assembly line going to make the galumpkis. Each person had a duty, whether it was peeling off cabbage leaves, mixing the filling or rolling up the stuffed cabbage. With well over 20 extended family members, it was crucial we crank out enough galumpkis so everyone got enough to eat.

Since being diagnosed with IBS, I've updated the recipe to be FODMAP-friendly and even tried out a new cooking method this go-round. Traditionally, my Grandma would bake a massive batch of these in a Dutch oven, but this stove-top version takes a considerably shorter time to cook. Want to make it even lower-maintenance? Pop the rolls into a slow cooker, turn the heat to low and let it cook for at least 8 hours before diving in. Want to see how they're made? Check out my YouTube video for Polish Cabbage Rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 small head cabbage
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup sautéed king oyster mushrooms
• 1 cup cooked rice
• ¼ cup uncooked oats
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups tomato puree (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup sour cream for serving
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Directions: 

1. At least 2 days before making the cabbage rolls, core and freeze the head of cabbage. The day before making the rolls, pull out the cabbage from the freezer. Let it defrost. The leaves will be wilted, making it easy to roll up the filling.
2. To make the rolls, mix together pork, mushrooms, rice, oats, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Lay a cabbage leaf flat on a cutting board. Add ¼ to ½ cup of filling and roll up to seal it tightly.
4. Layer cabbage rolls in a large sauté pan with the pureed tomatoes and chicken stock. Cover and cook over low heat until the cabbage is tender and the filling is cooked, 30 to 40 minutes. Add additional stock or water to keep the rolls from burning.
5. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.

Note: All ingredients can be customized to accommodate your tolerance of FODMAPs and for food allergies. These can be time- consuming to roll up, so make a big batch and portion and freeze any leftovers for a later time. Ground pork is used in this version, but I've used ground turkey, chicken and a beef/veal/pork blend before, too. Feel free to use whichever protein suits your fancy. Cooking for 30 to 40 minutes results in a cooked filling and tender cabbage. If you like your cabbage rolls nice and soft, so it's easy to cut the cabbage with a fork, cook for at least 50 minutes.

Get the play-by-play details on how to make my Polish Cabbage Rolls over on my YouTube channel here. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and check in for my regular posts over on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.