Lahanadolmades Avgolemono are delicious Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Made with a herby, ground meat and rice filling and a creamy and zesty egg-lemon sauce.
In Greece, we call them "Lahanodolmades" (lahano=cabbage, dolmades=rolls), with "Avgolemono" (avgo=egg, lemono=lemon).
Cabbage wraps go amazing with Avgolemono. The tangy creamy sauce is simply divine combined with the sweet cooked cabbage, and the meaty, herby filling!
Table Of Contents
Other yummy Greek Avgolemono recipes to try:
The Filling
The filling for cabbage rolls uses two types of meat. Ground Beef and pork. Pork adds extra flavor and moisture. We also add some white rice, (partly cooked on the stovetop), sauteed onions, leeks, and some spring onions and fresh herbs (parsley, dill) to give the filling an appetizing freshness.
Making Cabbage Rolls
Making cabbage rolls is easy once you learn how to wrap them. And no worries, you'll easily get the hang of it.
To make cabbage wraps you need to boil the cabbage first and soften the leaves, to make them flexible and wrappable. To boil the cabbage, first make a hole at the bottom and remove the stem. This allows water to run through and cook the center leaves.
Then allow the cabbage to cool down for a bit. Or even better you can dip the hot cabbage in cold water (blanch it). Next, remove the leaves one by one and start making the cabbage rolls. See the picture tutorial below on how to make stuffed cabbage rolls.
Cooking
Coat the bottom of the cooking pot with some raw cabbage leaves (save the outer leaves of the cabbage for this). This prevents the cabbage rolls from sticking to the bottom while cooking.
Then add water and olive oil and place a plate on top of the cabbage rolls to hold them in place as they cook. Simmer over medium-low heat with the lid slightly open on the side.
The Egg Lemon Sauce
To make the egg-lemon sauce first drain the stock from the pot with the cabbage rolls. Beat the eggs with the lemon juice and lemon zest. Then add half of the drained stock very slowly and threadlike while whisking constantly so the eggs won't curdle.
Next, make a thickening base for the sauce. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add flour. Stir until a thick paste forms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, pour in the remaining half stock and cook until a thick sauce forms.
Pour the thick sauce into the cooking pot along with the egg-lemon sauce. Tilt and shake the pot. Then heat on the lowest heat for both sauces to combine with the cabbage rolls. And you're ready to serve!
Make Ahead
To make this stuffed cabbage rolls recipe ahead of time, you can make the rolls and cook them the next day. Or make just the filling up to 2 days ahead and wrap them the next day or when you're ready to cook them.
Storing + Reheating
Greek cabbage rolls keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat add them either in a Pyrex and microwave, covered, on low. Or reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop again covered and at a low heat.
What You Can Do With Leftover Cabbage
Since the center leaves of the cabbage are too small to be used for making cabbage rolls you can use them to make Lahanorizo. Or use them in making vegetable stock.
Another great thing you can do with leftover cabbage is to make this delicious Pork With Cabbage.
Recipe
Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe (Lahanodolmades Avgolemono)
Ingredients
For The Ground Meat Filling:
- 750 grams (1.6 pounds) ground meat (half pork half lean beef)
- 100 grams (7 tablespoons) round grain white rice I used Karolina rice
- olive oil
- 150 grams (1 medium) red onion minced
- 70 grams (½ small) leek minced (save the green part to use in the sauce)
- 70 grams (2 medium) Spring onions minced (green parts separated from white part)
- 2 tablespoons dill minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
For The Cabbage Rolls:
- 1 large white cabbage (weighing approx. 3 kg / 6.6 pounds)
- 1 medium carrot cut into sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small branch of celery
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For The Egg-Lemon Sauce:
- 2 medium-sized free-range eggs at room temperature
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) fresh lemon juice
- the zest of ½ lemon
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- freshly ground pepper
- sea salt
- 1 liter (4 cups) hot water or stock
Instructions
- Prepare the cabbage. Remove a layer of the outer leaves (don't discard them). Remove the stem creating a triangular hole at the bottom.
- Add the cabbage to a large cooking pot (bottom side facing down) and add water until the cabbage is covered by ⅔.
- Bring to a boil and cook the cabbage for 10 minutes. Then turn it very carefully and cook for 5 minutes more. Turn the cabbage one last time so the bottom side is looking down again. Transfer the cabbage to a sheet pan holding it a bit first to drain most water. Ideally, use two large slotted spoons for this.
- Do not discard the water you boiled the cabbage in. We will use it in the sauce.
- Let cabbage cool enough to handle.
Prepare the ground meat filling:
- Heat a good splash of olive oil in a frying pan over moderate heat.
- Add onion, the white part of spring onions, and leeks (not their green parts).
- Saute until softened then add the green parts of spring onions. Give a good stir.
- Add the rice and cook for a minute to moisten it.
- Pour in 1½ cups hot water and wait until the rice absorbs it all. Turn the heat off and let cool slightly.
- Add ground meat to a large mixing bowl. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add dill and parsley, and 5 tablespoons of water.
- Add the cooked rice mixture and mix well until combined.
- Prepare the cooking pot (I used a 6-liter one). Add the green parts of leeks, the carrot sticks, the bay leaves, and the celery branch in an even layer. Coat with 1-2 cabbage leaves (the outer, raw leaves you kept). Brake them as necessary to create a smooth coating. This helps the cabbage rolls not to stick at the bottom.
Make The Cabbage Rolls:
- Pull the outer leaves of the cabbage carefully grabbing hold of them from the top.
- Lay a cabbage leaf flat on a cutting board. Cut and remove the thick, tough part at the bottom center of the leaf. Then cover that gap by bringing the two sides together.
- Take some of the filling (about 80 grams /28 ounces), give it an oval shape, and place it in the bottom center of the leaf.
- Roll upward 1 time to secure the filling and then fold the two outer edges inwards envelope-like. Then keep rolling until you reach the top end.Roll tightly enough to feel secure but not too tightly for the liquid to be able to pass through.
- Place the cabbage roll in the cooking pot seam-side down. Then repeat the process until you've used up all of the filling. You should end up with 15-16 cabbage rolls. Got leftovers? No worries, check the post above on what to do with them!NOTE: Place cabbage rolls close together without leaving gaps so they won't unroll while cooking.
- Pour 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Add a dinner plate on top of the cabbage rolls to hold them in place while cooking.
- Pour 1 liter ( 4 cups) of the cabbage water or stock into the pot and bring to a soft boil.
- Simmer cabbage rolls over medium-low heat for about an hour with the lid slightly open on the side.
- Drain the stock. Tilt the pot with the cabbage rolls and by holding the plate in place, allow the liquid to run on one side of the pot and into a measuring cup. We need 3 cups. If you have slightly less use some extra water or stock. If it's slightly more, pour the extra amount back into the pot and simmer on the lowest heat uncovered.
- Beat eggs together with lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour slowly and threadlike 1½ cups of the drained stock while whisking the eggs constantly. Set aside.
- Heat 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan.
- Add the flour and cook over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes while whisking, until the flour starts to smell nutty.
- Pour in the remaining 1½ cups of the drained stock and whisk until thickened.
- Pour the egg-lemon sauce into the pot with the cabbage rolls. Tilt and shake gently to spread evenly.
- Then pour the thick flour sauce on top and again tilt and shake the pot.
- Bring the pot back on the heat and simmer on the lowest heat covered for 2-3 minutes for both sauces to become uniform.
- Turn the heat off and serve right away or let the food stand for 30 minutes inside the pot (off the heat) for the flavors to combine and the sauce to thicken more.
- Serve with plenty of freshly ground pepper on top and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon if you like.
Perfect
I am using Orzo/kritharaki instead of white rice and bit different combination of spices.
Genuine Greek Flavors
This looks so great!! Thank you for sharing.
Any tips on if this can be made ahead and re-warmed? I’m sure the rolls themselves would be fine but how does that lovely sauce do?
You're welcome Emma. You can make ahead and keep the rolls with the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm on the stove top on over low heat with a splash of water because the sauce thickens as it cools.