Holubchi
This recipe WAS actually passed down from our Baba & Chocha.
We remember the days that they would complain about the cost of cabbage and potatoes (when they made Perogies as well).
This recipe has to be the easiest recipe to make. It does not contain any ground beef.
To us... A real Ukrainian Cabbage Roll DOES NOT contain ground beef!
This recipe will make around 120 cabbage rolls, you can adjust the portions by the amount of rice and cabbage you buy.
When I make them, I usually make quite a bit, so I break it down into stages.
One night, cook bacon and onions.
Second night, separate cabbage leaves
Third night, cook rice and roll
Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 Cabbage heads - Try to find the smaller heads, the larger heads give you tougher leaves
- 1 pkg Bacon - diced (I buy the no-name brand since you are using all the meat and grease)
- 1 large Onion - diced
- 4 cans of Tomato Soup - ( I like Campbells)
- Tin foil pans - (Easy cleanup at the end)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
As stated above I do this in stages. Makes is much easier and less time consuming.Bacon & Onions
Once bacon is cooked empty ALL into a bowl and set aside.
- Yes I said ALL, meaning ALL the bacon and ALL the grease.
That is what gives it so much flavor! Well, that is what Baba said...
Add the diced onions to the pot and cook. Put aside in bowl once done.
Cabbage
Take cabbage out of freezer the day before and let thaw.Squeeze as much water out as possible. Cabbage heads should feel soft and mushy.
Take a cookie sheet and place paper towel on bottom. Begin by peeling leaves and laying on cookie sheet. Continue placing paper towel between each layer.
Making Cabbage Rolls
Cook the rice and add rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Add the pepper and salt as needed. I don't add salt as the bacon has lots, but I do put pepper in.You will have to warm the bacon up in microwave or on the stove, so you can pour it over rice and get it mixed in well.
Take the cabbage leaf and trim the spine off, face the leaf so the top is facing you. (Not where it was torn off the head).
Add your rice mixture onto the leaf, and roll like a wonton. Roll tight. Tuck in sides and trim off the remaining. You don't want to use all of the leaf, just enough to roll the cabbage once around. That's it.
Add the cabbage to a greased pan. (Spray with PAM)
At the end of each layer, cover with tomato soup.
Once complete, cover with foil and bake in oven at 325 for about 2-3 hours. Until cabbage is fork tender.
Thank you! My mom always made meat and rice only cabbage rolls. So happy to find rice only recipe as they were always my favourite!
ReplyDeleteHi, can you please tell me how much rice is required for this? and what kind do you use?
ReplyDeleteI believe I used about 6-7 cups of rice. You can use any kind you want. My Mom used "Uncle Bens" but, I like using Rooster Rice (short grain), because you can buy it in the huge bags for cheap.
ReplyDeleteI feel like steps were missed. "Take the cabbage out of the freezer?" How did it get in to the freezer? A whole cabbage or do you do something with it before putting it in the freezer?
ReplyDeleteYes, put the whole cabbage in freezer. Nothing to it. Straight from grocery store. Buy when on sale, and keep in freezer.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how we make them and love them. The only thing I did different was rolled it at the other end. I'm going to try your way. I'm making them tomorrow for my mom and dad as they love them, but find it hard to make at their age.
ReplyDeleteFinally, someone who know how to make "real" Ukrainian Hollupchy. My mother used salt pork fat instead of bacon and tomato juice, not soup. She also served it with rendered pork fat.
ReplyDeleteBacon, bacon fat and more bacon! Cant go wrong.
DeleteActually Ukrainian holuptsi is made with cream, no tomato sauce and and my mother and everyone in the community made it with tomato soup, never ground meat only bacon, or smoked pork belly, and only on special occasions. Otherwise it was rice, fried onions and salt and pepper. Mother might thin it out with tomato juice. We did not make it with tomato soup until I was older. With sour cabbage, we used not sauce. You can use a bit of chicken broth to thin the soup if you like.
DeleteI believe Salt Pork is the true ingredient for this and a lot cheaper. But if bacon is on sale, all the better. I use pork sausage sometimes too. Chopped red bell is a must for me also.
ReplyDeleteIf you have an Instant Pot pressure cooker you can cook the cabbage in there. Core it first. Short grain rice has more,starch, so molding the rolls is easier.
ReplyDeleteFreezing cabbage i don't think is a good idea.Freezing makes the cabbage chewy,The best Ukrainian way is par boil the cabbage and loosen the leaves as you go along.It's time consuming but well worth it Old school never froze the cabbage.Try steaming,I'sure you will see the difference in cabbage texture.Good luck.
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DeleteMy parents came from Ukraine but different regions and each one had a different versions of Holubtsi and how to make them but both contained ground beef as the main ingredient. We used rice and onion only when fasting.
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law also used to make them with only bacon onion and rice and campbell's soup. One tip i will share..we only use savoy cabbage - it is more delicate, takes less cooking and you can separate the leaves easily without freezing. I just boil them for a few minutes each, drain them and then fill. I cut around the stem then start with the outside leaf and carefully dislodge it from the head. If it's stubborn, i run a stream of water between it and the head and it usually comes off.
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law also used to make them with only bacon onion and rice and campbell's soup. One tip i will share..we only use savoy cabbage - it is more delicate, takes less cooking and you can separate the leaves easily without freezing. I just boil them for a few minutes each, drain them and then fill. I cut around the stem then start with the outside leaf and carefully dislodge it from the head. If it's stubborn, i run a stream of water between it and the head and it usually comes off.
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law also used to make them with only bacon onion and rice and campbell's soup. One tip i will share..we only use savoy cabbage - it is more delicate, takes less cooking and you can separate the leaves easily without freezing. I just boil them for a few minutes each, drain them and then fill. I cut around the stem then start with the outside leaf and carefully dislodge it from the head. If it's stubborn, i run a stream of water between it and the head and it usually comes off.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds just like the way my mother always made them, except for her's it had to be almers tomato soup. Glad I found this as she is no longer here to call for recipe. Thanks
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Which Rooster Rice do you use? There is a Thai or Jasmine available at my local grocery store, not sure which one I should purchase. Thank you kindly
ReplyDeleteThank you for the highlighted comment that true Ukrainian holupshy does not have meat in the filling. My family is Ukrainian on both sides and the only thing added to the rice was onions and salt pork.
ReplyDeleteMy mom put vinigar in with soup
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