Greek cabbage rolls (lahanodolmades) with zucchini and rice

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5 from 2 votes

Greek cabbage rolls (lahanodolmades) with zucchini and rice

Greek cabbage rolls, or lahanodolmades, filled with zucchini, rice and herbs. Served plain or with an avgolemono sauce.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: cabbage rolls

Calories: 97kcal

Author: Billie Bitzas

Equipment

1 large pot
1 medium size pot

Ingredients

1 large cabbage
3 chopped green onions white and green part
2½ cups chopped parsley
⅓ cup chopped mint
1 cup diced red onion
3½ cups grated zucchini
2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
2 tbsp olive oil for sauteeing
1 tbsp salt
½ tbsp pepper
⅓ cup olive oil
2 lemons
2 tbsp olive oil for bottom of pot

For the avgolemono

2 lemons
2 eggs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare your cabbage

Remove the hard core from your cabbage, but not to the extent that your leaves start to fall apart. You should end up with a cone shaped cut-out where the core used to be.
Place your entire head of cabbage (1 large cabbage), core side down, in a pot large enough to hold it and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium for 10 minutes. Turn the cabbage over so that the core is up, and continue to boil for another 5 minutes.
Drain cabbage and set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling

In a medium size pot sauté the 1 cup diced red onion in 2 tbsp olive oil until softened. Add the 3 chopped green onions and the 2½ cups chopped parsley, and ⅓ cup chopped mint. Saute for another minute or two, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and stir in the 3½ cups grated zucchini, 2 cups long grain rice, uncooked, 1 tbsp salt, ½ tbsp pepperr, ⅓ cup olive oil and the juice of 2 lemons. Set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare your cabbage rolls

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the bottom of a large pot. Layer the bottom of the pot with a few cabbage pieces.
Carefully separate out the cabbage leaves by carefully pulling them apart, one by one. If your cabbage leaves are very large you can cut them in half lengthwise.
Place some filling in the bottom-center of your leaf (where the core would have been). The amount of filling you use will depend upon whether you use an entire or half a cabbage leaf, and on the size of your leaf. Use your judgment. We used about 2 tablespoons of filling for an entire cabbage leaf.
Use the cabbage leaf to fold over the filling. Bring in the sides, and continue to roll up. It is almost like you are making a burrito. Make sure that the filling is snug within the cabbage leaf so that it does not fall out. Because the rice will increase in volume as it cooks, do not wrap your cabbage rolls too tightly. You can watch video here.
As you fold each one, place them seam side down in the sauce pot. Repeat until all the filling, or cabbage leaves, are used.
When you have placed all of your cabbage rolls in the pot, you can layer the top with any remaining cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Boil some water in a kettle. Pour about 2 cups of boiling water into the pot with the cabbage leaves.
When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Test a cabbage roll at this point to taste it and make sure that the rice is cooked. Remove any top layers of cabbage that you had covering your cabbage rolls and set aside.

Prepare the avgolemono sauce

When the cabbage rolls are done, prepare your egg-lemon sauce.
Separate the yolk and egg whites from your 2 eggs. With a hand held mixer or a standing mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are frothy. Add in the egg yolks and continue to beat until well combined. Add in the juice of 2 lemons, while whisking slowly.
Remove one cup of broth which you will find in the pot with your cabbage rolls. While still whisking the egg-lemon mixture, slowly pour in the hot broth. Then, pour your avgolemono sauce into the pot with your cabbage rolls. Gently shake the pot so that the egg-lemon sauce falls to the bottom of the pot.
Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition