These Asian-inspired vegan cabbage rolls are packed with flavorful ingredients and are surprisingly easy to make.
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground red pepper
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 250 g mushrooms, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- Sesame seeds for topping
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp flour or cornstarch
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- Cook the sushi rice according to the package instructions.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add 250 g chopped mushrooms and 1 large chopped carrot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add ground ginger, garlic powder, ground red pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice to the skillet and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Cook the cabbage: Fill a large deep pan with enough water to cover a cabbage. Bring it to a boil. Remove the outer leaves and cut out the core. Boil the cabbage until the leaves soften and can be removed easily. Repeat until you have 10-12 whole cabbage leaves.
- Place a cabbage leaf on a plate. Add 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture in the middle. Fold in the sides and top over the filling, then roll it up. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add 5 cabbage rolls and pan-sear for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Make the sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan, add maple syrup and soy sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix water with flour or cornstarch to make a slurry and pour it into the skillet. Add spices and cook the sauce until thickened, for a few more minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls and top up with sesame seeds.
This recipe turned out better than expected. I’ve never used cabbage for wraps so was a bit cumbersome considering you have to chop the veggies which I did while rice was cooking, boil the water for the cabbage and then you still have to roll and sear. By time I got to the slurry, I was truly like no more steps please! Worth the effort thankfully. Definitely cutting cabbage to ensure full pieces was a challenge. But I love the flavor. Now that I’ve tried it, I’m sure I can prepare much quicker next time. Oh and I did have filling left after rolling about 9 wraps which I will use for stuffed peppers
I’m so happy the recipe turned out better than expected! Cabbage wraps do take some effort, but it sounds like you got the hang of it. Using the extra filling for stuffed peppers is such a great idea! Next time will definitely be easier now that you’ve tried it. Thanks for sharing your experience! 💕