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Cabbage rolls with cabbage in a slow cooker in sour cream sauce

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Sour Cream Sauce (Slow Cooker)

Tender, juicy, delicious — impossible to stop eating! Cabbage rolls made with fresh cabbage in a slow cooker, in a sour cream sauce, come out remarkably soft and appetizing. They're a great dish for a holiday table or any day, and they go with any side — vegetables, pasta, or grains.

Maria

Recipe author

Cabbage rolls with cabbage in a slow cooker in sour cream sauce

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Cabbage (large)

Vegetable oil (2–3 tbsp)

Ground meat

600

Rice

100

Onion

Ground black pepper

Salt

Water

500

Sour cream

150

Tomato paste

Salt (a pinch)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 16 % 3 g

Fats 47 % 9 g

Carbohydrates 37 % 7 g

125 kcal

GI: 57 / 43 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make tender stuffed cabbage rolls in a slow cooker in sour cream sauce? Start by gathering the ingredients on the list. Wash the head of cabbage and remove any damaged outer leaves. You can cut out the core now or leave it, whichever is easier — I trimmed off the protruding part of the core.
Step 2:

In a large pot that fits the whole head, bring water to a boil. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Then flip the head over and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 3:

Take the cabbage out of the pot, let it cool a bit so you don't burn yourself, and carefully peel off the individual leaves. Trim off the thick white rib at the base of each leaf. The outer leaves usually come off easily; if the inner ones are stiff, tear, and won't separate, return the head to the boiling water for a little longer, then keep peeling. I needed 12 leaves for this amount of filling.
Step 4:

Now make the filling. If you like, add grated carrot and pressed garlic. Besides salt and pepper, you can add other spices to taste. Use pork, beef, or a mix.
Step 5:

Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes.
Step 6:

Boil the rice in plenty of water until half done, about 10 minutes. Then drain it in a sieve and let it dry.
Step 7:

In a bowl, combine the onion, ground meat, rice, salt, and pepper.
Step 8:

Mix everything thoroughly until uniform.
Step 9:

Put 1 tablespoon of filling near the edge of each cabbage leaf and roll it up into a packet. Roll from the firmer edge near the core toward the softer one — that way the roll stays tightly closed and holds its shape.
Step 10:

Shape the rest of the rolls the same way. I got 12 cabbage rolls.
Step 11:

Set the slow cooker to the "Fry/Sauté" mode for 20 minutes. Heat the vegetable oil in it and brown the cabbage rolls on both sides in batches until golden.
Step 12:

Transfer the browned rolls to a platter and load the next batch into the cooker. You can skip the browning step entirely and just put all the rolls in the pot and pour the sauce over them — but in that case, extend the stewing time by 20–30 minutes.
Step 13:

While the rolls brown, make the sauce. Instead of water, you can use milk or light (10%) cream, and swap the tomato paste for ketchup or tomato sauce. Sour cream of any fat content works. For more gravy, increase the sauce ingredients by a third.
Step 14:

Add the tomato paste, sour cream, and salt to the water and stir until smooth, with no lumps of sour cream left.
Step 15:

Put all the cabbage rolls into the slow-cooker pot and pour the sauce over the top.
Step 16:

Set the slow cooker to the "Stew/Simmer" mode for 1.5 hours. The exact time depends on your cooker, the thickness of the rolls, and how tough the cabbage is. If you didn't brown the rolls first, add 20–30 minutes to the stewing time. Enjoy!

Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, and acidity is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste. If you're using a seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for example).
Keep in mind that the cooking time and settings are approximate. Slow cookers vary, and even identical models from the same maker can behave differently. Before trying a new dish in your cooker, read the manual, then practice with dishes you know first and new ones after, dialing in the setting and time for your own appliance.
Important! For consistently delicious rice dishes, see our article on choosing rice and the secrets of cooking it.