Golubtsi  is hearty savory Russian dish. Golubtsi can be made with any kind of cabbage, meat, and grain or even without meat, just rice and vegetables. Here is my favorite recipe.







For rolls:
1 head of cabbage
1 lb ground beef
1 cup half cooked rice
1 medium onion or two leeks /diced
10 stems of parsley /minced
1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup of cream
salt and black pepper
for broth:
1medium onion /diced
1 carrot (ground)
2 big sweet bell pepper (any color) /diced or sweet pepper pure (ajvar)
1 (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes  or (3 medium tomatoes /diced + 0,33ml can of V8 juice (or any other tomato juice))
2 stalks celery
5 cloves of garlic /minced
salt pepper
for  garnish:
1 cup of sour cream



1. preheat oven to 375 F
2. remove core from the cabbage





3. wrap cabbage in aluminum foil and bake for 45 min at 375F  (to make leaves pliable and the outer leaves begin to loosen)



4. sweat leeks with 1tbs of butter on saute pan, about 7min
5. place all stuffing ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.



6. remove the softened leaves leaf by leaf (if leaves in the middle not cooked, wrap in foil and bake little more)



7. place the carrot, onion and garlic in a saucepan and saute until the onion is soft, add bell peppers and saute for 5 more min, add tomatoes, and 1cup of water bring to boil, low the hit and let it simmer.

8. meanwhile, stuff cabbage bell pepper and zucchini







Traditionally cabbage leaf is wrapped around stuffing.
I prefer to roll stuffing and cabbage leaf.

Spread 1/3 inch of stuffing in the middle of cabbage leaf. Leave verges uncovered.
Wrap the verges.



Roll the leaf along with stuffing.



If rolled (as opposed to wrapped), cabbage stays together with stuffing while eating.



8. lay remaining leaves on the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy deep casserole dish, then place stuffed vegetables closely to each other

9. pour the hot broth mixture over stuffed vegetables, add little bit of water if there is not enough liquid to cover rolls, put lid or foil on top  and bake in 350 F oven for 45 minutes

10. at the end of the cooking time, take out 1 cup of liquid in small mixing bowl  and mix together with sour cream, mix well then pour over cabbage rolls, continue to bake, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.



Serve it with dollop of sour cream, fresh parsley and dill