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Greek cabbage rolls filled with rice, meat and herbs, topped with a rich egg lemon sauce
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5 from 5 votes

Cabbage rolls with egg-lemon sauce

Greek cabbage rolls filled with rice, meat and herbs, topped with a rich egg lemon sauce
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 60 pieces
Author: Mia Kouppa

Ingredients

  • 2 heads cabbage we used one green cabbage and one savoy cabbage
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 12 green onions chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped dill
  • 325 grams ground turkey (about 3/4 lb or 1 1/2 cups)
  • 325 grams ground pork (about 3/4 lb or 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 cups (400 grams) long grain rice rinsed or soaked
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) vegetable oil

For the egg-lemon (avgolemono) sauce

  • 3 large eggs separated
  • 3/4 cup (180 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • chopped dill for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Begin by preparing your cabbage.  Bring a large pot (one big enough to hold your head of cabbage) to a boil.  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. 
  • When your water is boiling, add your entire head of cabbage, core side down, and allow to boil for approximately 10 minutes.  Turn it over (so the core is facing up) and boil for another 5 minutes. 
  • Carefully remove your cabbage from the water and let cool slightly.  Begin to carefully remove the cabbage leaves. If they are not soft, return your cabbage to the pot and boil for a bit longer.  If you are able to remove some leaves, and then the inner ones appear to be too hard, return the remaining cabbage head to the boiling water.
  • Place the cabbage leaves in a colander so that they can drain a little bit, and continue to cool.  Repeat the same process with your second head of cabbage
  • Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large pot and sauté your yellow onion until it is soft and very slightly caramelized.  Add the green onions, parsley, and dill to the pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add the ground turkey and pork to the pot and stir.  Add the rinsed rice and stir until all is well combined.  Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice  to your filling mix and give it one final stir.  Remove from the heat.
  • To make your cabbage rolls take a cabbage leaf and cut away any remaining hard part (usually found in the middle of the leaf and going up about an inch or two).  You can decide at this point to cut your cabbage leaf in half (to make small cabbage rolls) or leave it whole (to make larger cabbage rolls).  We think the latter is easier.
  • 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. See video here.  The key is to 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.
  • Repeat until all of the filling, or all of the cabbage leaves, are used.
  • When you are done, take a pot large enough to fit all of your cabbage rolls.  Pour in 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Place your cabbage rolls, carefully and snuggly into the pot, layering them as you go.  When you have placed all of your cabbage rolls in the pot, you can layer the top with any remaining cabbage leaves.
  • Boil some water in a kettle.  Pour the boiling water into the pot with the cabbage leaves until they are covered.  Bring to a boil.
  • When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered for about 1 hour 20 minutes.  You can always remove one 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.
  • When the cabbage rolls are done, prepare your egg-lemon sauce.
  • Separate your 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 3/4 cup lemon juice, while whisking slowly.
  • Remove one cup of broth which you will find in your cabbage roll pot.  While still whisking the egg-lemon mixture, slowly pour in the hot broth.  Then, pour this mixture 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 with some fresh dill sprinkled on top.
  • Enjoy!