Shiitake, Rice and Truffle Oil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Lemon Vinaigrette

Glossy cabbage leaves filled with a shiitake mushroom, rice, red bell pepper, walnut, sage and truffle oil mixture, cooked gently in a saucepan, cooled, and then drizzled with an extra tangy lemon-mustard vinaigrette.

Stuffed cabbage leaves (or cabbage rolls) are a well loved Greek comfort food. The traditional Greek version (lachanodolmades) features minced meat with rice inside the rolls, which are then smothered in a rich egg-lemon sauce. As this recipe is being featured on the Love My Salad website I decided to put a plant-based spin on the classic, so I switched the meat for fresh shiitake mushrooms (which by the way are fast becoming my favourite type of mushroom!) and served them with a very tangy, lemony sauce. I love lemon, and I feel that even though this dressing is quite strong, it complements the cabbage very well.

The shiitake and rice is accompanied by a few more delicious ingredients in the filling, giving the rolls a complex and deep flavour. These include red pepper for a touch of sweetness (and colour!), walnuts (because I thought they would suit the dish well) sage for its special aroma, and truffle oil for its general gorgeousness and ability to make everything fancy.

Can I just take a moment to stress the fact that the rice is not precooked? I did some research into all the different types of stuffed cabbage leaves out there (there are many) and I must say the Greek method of cooking is quite different to most. The leaves are of course prepped in order to soften enough to roll, but the filling is all raw, even when there is meat involved. The rolls are boiled gently in a saucepan and that’s when the rice gets cooked too. I don’t know about you, but one less step in the process is worth mentioning I think!

A couple of things to remember here are that a) these rolls are best served after having rested for a while (in fact, they are even better the day after they are cooked) and b) they are best enjoyed at room temperature.

So, are you tempted? I hope so! Pop over to the Love My Salad website for the full recipe. And while you’re there please take a moment to browse all the different recipes. There are so many to choose from, all of them starring – what else – delicious vegetables! As we all need to be adding more plants to our diets, having such a resource is practical and helpful.

Talking of adding plants to diets, here is Westley enjoying the core of the cabbage! He loves it. Fighting food waste every way we can!

So tell me, have you ever tried cabbage rolls? How do you make them? If you decide to give these a try I would love to hear how you like them. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram, I love sharing your creations on my stories! Find me at @thefoodiecorner and use #thefoodiecorner so I don’t miss it.

Link to recipe for Shiitake, Rice and Truffle Oil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Lemon Vinaigrette