Vegetarian Slow-Cooked Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage has roots in Eastern European kitchens where feeding people well with simple ingredients was not optional, it was survival. The original version uses ground beef or pork. This one uses lentils and brown rice, and if you're expecting something that tastes like a compromise, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Lentils have an earthy, slightly meaty quality (especially cooked with tomato paste and herbs) and brown rice adds enough starchiness to bind the filling and give it substance.

The slow cooker does the heavy lifting here. Once the rolls are assembled, they go into the pot layered in tomato sauce and cook low and slow until the cabbage is completely tender and almost melts into the filling. The sauce thickens as it cooks, picking up savory, herby flavor from everything inside the rolls. Every bite has cabbage, filling, and a little of that rich tomato sauce all at once.

The prep takes about 30 minutes. Most of that is softening the cabbage leaves and assembling the rolls. It's meditative work rather than rushed, and the payoff is a dinner that tastes like it took all day. Because technically, it did.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 3/4 cup brown rice (cooked — you'll need about 1 1/2 cups cooked)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the rolls:

• 1 large head of green cabbage
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils first. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the rinsed lentils, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 18 to 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.

2. Cook the brown rice according to package instructions. You need 1 1/2 cups cooked rice for the filling.

3. While lentils and rice cook, soften the cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Core the cabbage from the bottom, then submerge the whole head in the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Peel off 12 large, pliable outer leaves as they loosen and set them on a kitchen towel to dry. If the inner leaves are still stiff, return the head to the boiling water for another minute or two.

4. Make the filling. In a bowl, combine the cooked lentils, cooked rice, diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. The tomato paste should coat everything and help it hold together.

5. Make the tomato sauce. Stir together the crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, oregano, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper directly in the slow cooker.

6. Assemble the rolls. Lay a cabbage leaf flat, place about 1/4 cup of filling near the base, fold the sides in, and roll it up from the bottom like a burrito. Place it seam-side down in the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling, nestling the rolls in snug layers.

7. Pour any remaining tomato sauce over the top of the rolls. They should be mostly submerged or at least generously covered.

8. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. The cabbage should be completely tender and the sauce should be thick and fragrant.

Tips

Leftover stuffed cabbage keeps in the fridge for 4 days and tastes better the next day. The filling firms up and the sauce soaks deeper into everything. Reheat in the microwave with a little extra tomato sauce spooned over the top, or warm them gently in a covered skillet.

To make this ahead, assemble the rolls the night before, cover the slow cooker insert, and refrigerate it. In the morning, pull it out, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, then start the slow cooker. The cook time stays the same.

For more depth in the sauce, add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tomato base. Both bring the kind of complexity that makes people ask what's in it.