Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage (Holubtsi) Recipe (2024)

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Barbara Rolek

Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.

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Updated on 12/20/23

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Kayla Hoang

Tested byKayla Hoang

Kayla Hoang is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and baker whose Bangladeshi and Vietnamese roots influence all she does. Her life revolves around food and she can almost always be found waiting by the oven for a fresh batch of cookies.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage (Holubtsi) Recipe (2)

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 90 mins

Total: 2 hrs 10 mins

Servings: 6 servings

Yield: 18 rolls

109 ratings

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Cabbage leaves stuffed with meat, rice, and vegetables are common in Eastern Europe and the Balkans and are also found in Asian and African cuisines. Because recipes adapt to societal and cultural needs and to what's available in the area, many versions of these rolls have just meat, others are strictly vegetarian, and others are a combination of the two. The Ukrainian version of stuffed cabbage, known as holubtsi, also has many variations, but in general, the filling is always enriched with grain and flavored with vegetables. Our take on these "little pigeons," the literal translation of the name, is a meatless variation, ideal as a side dish to richer meaty recipes but also as a main in vegetarian families that might find this dish perfect with a side of potatoes or rice.

We use cabbage leaves, as do most traditional recipes, but beet, lettuce, or spinach leaves—and even grape leaves—are also used in Ukraine when making versions of this dish. The cooking liquid also varies by region and family and can include broth, tomato juice, and sour cream. For our filling, we chose a potato-buckwheat mixture, really hearty and nutritious. Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is actually gluten free, which makes this recipe suitable for people with gluten restrictions in their diets.

Although the dish requires some time investment, the beauty is that it yields generous portions that make great leftovers and that can be frozen too for a future lunch or dinner. Serve alongside a salad, potato pancake, or crusty bread. Use the pan juices to serve the rolls or use a simple tomato sauce or more sour cream to serve. Alternatively, mix the pan juices with additional sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

"While it is a labor of love, the process for this recipe is incredibly straightforward and super-enjoyable to cook through. Don’t skip the steps of rinsing the buckwheat in boiling water or draining the potatoes of their starchy liquid. It makes all the difference here!" —Kayla Hoang

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage (Holubtsi) Recipe (3)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Kosher salt, as needed
1 head green cabbage, about 4 pounds
4 large uncooked potatoes, peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sour cream, divided
1/2 cup buckwheat, rinsed twice with boiling water and drained
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
Remove and discard the core from cabbage. Put the cabbage in the boiling water, cored side up. Cover and cook until tender enough to pull off individual leaves, about 15 minutes.
Carefully remove cabbage head from water and allow it to cool until it's easy to handle. Remove 18 whole leaves. Use a paring knife to cut away thick center stems from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
Finely chop remaining cabbage and place it at the bottom of a large casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Drain potatoes in a mesh strainer or cheesecloth, twisting or pressing to remove as much moisture as possible.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Set aside.
In a small skillet, sauté the onion in butter until tender.
Add onion mixture to the potatoes, combining well.
Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and the buckwheat to potato mixture, combining thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.
Place about 1/2 cup of filling on each cabbage leaf. Roll once away from you to encase the filling.
Flip right side of leaf to the middle, then flip left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Keep rolling again until you have a neat little roll.
Place cabbage rolls, seam side down on top of chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper.
Dollop the remaining 1 cup of sour cream evenly over the holubtsi. Cover and bake until the buckwheat filling is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Can I Cook the Rolls in a Slow Cooker?

An easy variation makes a hands-off dish. Follow all the method steps before baking but place the chopped cabbage at the bottom of a greased slow cooker:

Place the formed rolls on top of the chopped cabbage, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the remaining 1 cup of sour cream with 2 cups of vegetable broth or stock and add this liquid on top of the rolls.
Set the slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 3 to 4, or until the filling is tender. If needed, add more broth to the pot to keep the rolls moistened at all times.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
400	Calories
15g	Fat
61g	Carbs
10g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	400
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g	20%
Saturated Fat 8g	42%
Cholesterol 44mg	15%
Sodium 3545mg	154%
Total Carbohydrate 61g	22%
Dietary Fiber 9g	32%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 100mg	499%
Calcium 196mg	15%
Iron 3mg	15%
Potassium 1588mg	34%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Potato
dinner
eastern european
winter

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Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage (Holubtsi) Recipe (2024)

Can I Cook the Rolls in a Slow Cooker?

References