Gołąbki - Polish cabbage rolls

Published: March 16th, 2023 - Last updated: February 27th, 2024

Stuffed cabbage is one of the most popular dishes of Polish cuisine. This combination of meat, rice, and cabbage with an aromatic sauce is loved by many. The word "gołąbki" means "little pigeons", which may fit their shape, but the dispute over the origin of this name is still ongoing. Stuffed cabbage is a dish whose variants exist in many cuisines around the world, but in Poland, they are very common and extremely popular.

How was gołąbki created?

Many believe that modern stuffed cabbage comes from the original dish that appeared in Poland in the 14th century. The Tatars or Armenians brought this dish, but their exact origin is still unknown. Still, such an origin of the dish is very likely. There are many similar dishes in Central and Eastern Europe. In Lithuania, they can be found under the name balandėliai, in Ukraine - голубці (holubtsi), and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia we can find holubce. There are many indications that the recipe for cabbage rolls was created as a modification of a dish brought to the eastern borderlands. Only from there, it spread throughout the region. Eastern regions are areas where cabbage was easily available and popular in the kitchen. We can say the same about other ingredients, such as buckwheat (replaced by rice) or mushrooms.

There are different variants of the filling as well as how and with what the stuffing is wrapped. Originally, a slightly different filling was used, the before mentioned buckwheat or potatoes. Such stuffing is still common, yet, cabbage stuffed with rice and meat stuffing has become almost a symbol of national cuisine.

How to prepare stuffed cabbage?

The preparation of stuffed cabbage may seem complicated at first, but it is actually a simple dish that anyone can prepare at home. It just takes some time. Below we present a proven way to prepare them.

Recipe informations:

Preparation

30 minutes

Total

125 minutes

Yield

Servings 16

4.3 (3)

Ingredients

400-500 g minced meat (e.g. pork shoulder, ham or neck)
100 g of rice
2 onions
1 white cabbage
1.5 liters of broth or water
salt and pepper

Steps

1. Step

First, throw the rice into boiling, salted water and cook for about 8-12 minutes, depending on the type of rice. Place the meat in a larger bowl and then add the cooked rice. Peel the onion and grate it or cut it into very small pieces. Add the prepared onion to the meat and rice. Season everything with salt (about half a teaspoon) and pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Mix everything and knead well with your hands.

2. Step

Gołąbki - Polish cabbage rolls - steps-2

Cut the core out of the cabbage, then put it in a large pot of boiling water (cut side down). Cook for about 15 minutes over low heat. Turn the cabbage over and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Step

Gołąbki - Polish cabbage rolls - steps-3

Remove the cabbage from the boiling water. After it has cooled down, strip it of its leaves, gently cut off the thickenings from each leaf.

4. Step

Gołąbki - Polish cabbage rolls - steps-4

Place portions of meat on the inner parts of the leaf (usually as much as can fit in your hand). Roll up the leaves by folding the sides inwards, then roll up the remaining part of the leaf as tightly as possible. Not all the cabbage has to be used.

5. Step

Gołąbki - Polish cabbage rolls - steps-5

We can either cook cabbage rolls in a pot or bake them. I always choose the second option. Line the bottom of the pot or baking dish with a few cabbage leaves (e.g. those that have been torn). Place the cabbage rolls on top, seam side down. Boil the broth (or water) in another pot and pour it over the cabbage rolls. If we choose the cooked option, place the pot on a heat source, cover and cook for about 50 - 70 minutes until the cabbage is soft. If we choose the second option, we put the closed dish in the oven and bake at 180-200 degrees for about 50 - 70 minutes. Do not stir the cabbage rolls while cooking. Stuffed cabbage prepared in this way is best served with tomato or mushroom sauce.